The Sound of Mystery
by Step Of Death
Summary: DRV3 Canon AU. Their fates were sealed the moment he moved that bookcase. But what if he never did it? Oblivious to his own talent and in possession of a perk he doesn't understand, Rantaro doesn't know who to trust or where to look for answers. Feeling lost, he desperately seeks the light at the end of the tunnel... only to find a certain piano freak. Amamatsu. Slow burn/Fluff.
1. Prologue

**HUGE FRIGGIN' ANIME TIDDIES!**

 _ **A/N: Now that I have your attention, please read this.** _

**_Some things you should know before you read this fanfic:  
_**

 _\- This story contains HUGE spoilers for the entirety of the plot of "Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony". Read at your own discretion._

 _\- This story does not contain huge anime tiddies, except maybe for Miu Iruma._

 _\- This story revolves around the characters Kaede Akamatsu and Rantaro Amami, and the intent is to slowly develop their relationship into a romantic one. If you are not a fan of this pairing then you might not enjoy this story. As of the moment of writing, I have no intent of adding multiple pairings to this story, or turning the main relationship into a love triangle, or anything of the sort._

 _\- This is NOT a one-shot. More chapters will be written based on the story's popularity. The more feedback I recieve, the more chapters will be written. This is to prevent me from spending my scarce free time into a story no one is interested in._

 _\- This is a canon AU/divergence AU fanfic. This means that this fanfic follows the canon storyline very closely, but with small alterations. As such, this is still a story about a Killing Game, and there IS a chance that your favorite character might die in it. I will not 'resurrect' characters upon demand nor will I kill/ship them over requests. Also, I am playing the game as I write this, so as to avoid any plot inconsistencies and to make this plot as close as possible to the original._

 _\- Concerning the way the characters address each other, I'll be using the Japanese version of the game as reference. Calling people by their first names in Japan usually indicate some kind of proximity with said person, so I will try to explore that. As such, characters will be addressing each other by their last names, but that might change based on how close they get to each other. Also, it's important to mention that Angie Yonaga refers to people by their first names regardless of how close she is to them, which is part of her eccentric trait, and that characters like Kokichi Ouma are prone to use first names as a means to mock and to be insulting. This will be preserved in the story._

 _\- This story might contain minor descriptive scenes of violence, suggestive themes and foul language. While it is nothing gory, overly explicit or exaggerated, do keep this in mind if these make you uncomfortable. The rating of the story remains at T until future content raises the possibility of changing it._

 _\- Cover art by ロンパ詰め on Pixiv._

 _\- I do not own Danganronpa, and I gain nothing from writing this story other than personal satisfaction._

 _With that said, please enjoy this story I wrote at 3 AM._

 ** _CHANGELOG:_**

 ** _Update 09/12/2018 (non-retard units): Minor grammar mistakes fixed. A few lines were rephrased and some were added here and there._**

 ** _Update 11/12/2018 (non-retard units): Minor grammar mistakes fixed. More important notes were added above._**

* * *

 ** _Prologue: Hesitation_**

...

...

...

"...Ah, geez! Why is this thing so damn loud?!"

An unsettling song reverberated within the walls of the mysterious school, making it impossible to go unnoticed by everyone inside it. The classroom Kaede was in was no exception, courtesy of the huge speakers attached to a monitor in the ceiling. Said monitor was displaying cartoonish pictures of people killing each other, which just made the song even more ominous. She tried to ignore it by focusing on the occasional, barely audible sweeping sound and the tense footsteps that followed it. Small piles of dust appeared everytime the girl moved her broom, which had her sweep carefully so as to not end up smokebombing herself with all that dirt. She stopped for a moment, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand and letting out an audible sigh.

The classroom was huge, and was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Just like every other place in this school she had visited so far, the room was filled with greenery, with the ceiling covered by long plants that resembled vines. The windows were blocked by large wired fences; a subtle reminder that there was no escape from that place. The blackboard was a huge blue LCD screen, and that was new for her. Thankfully, it wasn't being used to display those heinous images or play that song. Next to it was the teacher's table, which was something more like the kind of stand you'd see in debates or interviews. There was a vent on the wall by the teacher's table, which was connected to the library. It made the room smell slightly like musty books, but Kaede was used to it by now. There was also a small bookcase by the blackboard and random notice boards on the walls. The floor had steps, and so the desks and seats were arranged in a way that the students in the back would have no problem seeing the blackboard, as the classmate in front of them would be slightly below them. It was an interesting idea, and it sure looked nice, but just as Kaede found out (the hard way), it didn't exactly made the classroom easier to clean.

Finally deciding to rest, she stabbed the floor with her broom and rested her other hand on her waist. As she did so, she glanced at the classroom door for what seemed like the millionth time, everytime expecting a certain someone to show up, and feeling nervous when that wouldn't be the case. Unconsciously tightening the grip on the broom's handle, she tried to shake away her unease by focusing back on the plant-filled classroom. She was cleaning the room with no particular interest or care, but she did it anyway so as to keep herself busy and ease her tension.

"Saihara-kun is taking so long... I wonder if everything's alright." She talked to herself, unable to ignore the boy's absence any longer.

A few days had passed since Kaede met Shuichi and the other Ultimates, but they still hadn't made any significant progress on figuring out where they were, how they got there, or more importantly, how to escape that place. Although Kaede couldn't complain about the food, the accomodations, and the few genuine friends (or so she liked to believe) she made there, she definitely didn't want to remain locked in that school for the rest of her life.

And then there was the whole Killing Game thing. Some talking teddy bears randomly showed up from time to time and told them to kill each other, claiming it was the only way to escape that mysterious school. Of course, they wouldn't simply take the bears's words for it and do something so outrageous right off the bat. But as time passed, Kaede couldn't help but grow more and more uncertain about this whole situation. With each passing day the bears would grow more impatient, complaining that there were no murders and coming up with incentives to get them to kill. And as much as she'd like to believe they would never get what they wanted... She wasn't so sure anymore.

Ever since the fiasco at the tunnel underground, which is supposedly the only exit besides graduating from the killing game, the students had slowly started to distrust each other. It was only a matter of time. Once they realized that there was no escape, and that a murder could take place at any time, all the unison that Kaede fought hard to build between them went down the drain.

And if there was any chance of restoring that trust, it was lost with Monokumas's incentives.

A time limit was in effect. If a murder didn't take place soon, then they were all going to die. Which was why the sinister song and video were being played all over the school: A painful reminder of the fate that awaited them. Not just that, but there was an additional motive to kill. Whoever committed a murder would be able to leave the school without going through the class trial. An advantage that no one else would have.

"Saihara-kun... Please come back already..." The pianist muttered, feeling more anxious and scared with each passing second.

Being by herself in an environment where people were being coerced into commiting murder wasn't exactly her idea of a fun activity to pass the time. She could already picture someone other than Shuichi entering the room and killing her out of desperation, and that made her feel terrible. She wanted to trust everyone, be friends with them, learn more about them. What they liked to eat, what they did for fun, their favorite color. But under those circumstances it all sounded like an unreachable dream. She trusted Shuichi and believed in him, probably more than he believed in himself. She could see he was a kind boy despite all that insecurity and shyness, and she knew that the others were good people too. But unlike Shuichi, she couldn't really trust most of them.

She wouldn't call it 'trust', but she felt at ease around Gonta. She just couldn't think someone as innocent as him could ever bring himself to harm someone, even if it meant saving his own life. Kirumi also seemed reliable, but the fact she had a somewhat unhealthy desire to serve others, to point where she'd do nearly everything that was asked of her, was rather concerning. Kaede also had some degree of trust for Kaito, who went out of his way to cheer her up after their failed attempts at the tunnel. He sure liked to blurt out motivational speeches, but he was a nice guy. And then there was...

Rantaro.

Kaede instinctively looked at her hands once she thought about him, admiring the nail polish art he did for her awhile ago with a smile on her face. In her honest opinion, there was no better word to describe him than mysterious. Kaede considered herself to be someone who could read people well after some time around them. But from his forgotten talent to his personality, everything about Rantaro Amami was an enigma to her. At first she thought he was a womanizer from the way he dressed, and also from his invitations to hang out and drink some tea with him these past few days. However, she was surprised to find out he is actually a pretty approachable, chill guy to talk to. But, at the same time, he can turn equally intimidating if need be, like earlier that day when he convinced Ryoma to take back his suggestion of sacrificing himself.

 _"Ryoma, There's no need for that, because I'm going to end this killing game. I've already decided. It's not about outfoxing everyone on this killing game. It's about ending the game itself. That's the real goal."_

His words replayed on her mind, and once again she found herself wondering about what could he have meant by that. The idea of someone ending the killing game by themselves seemed unrealistic, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit skeptical about it. But there was something behind his conviction that... made her think it was possible. The way he remained unruffled and collected when the exisals first showed up, the way he was able to calmly analyze the situation... While others, Shuichi included, saw that as suspicious, Kaede couldn't help but find it... Enticing. There was more to the talentless teen that met the eye, and deep down she believed that he could, somehow, end the game after all.

 _Geez, there must be something wrong with me. I am about to die and all I can think of isn't about my family, friends or even the piano... But a guy I had tea with a few days ago._

Blushing, she perished the thoughts for the time being. Right now, she was waiting for Shuichi in the classroom by the basement's staircase. The detective left a while ago to make sure their plan wouldn't be foiled by the small group of students that went down to the basement shortly before he left the classroom. The idea was to capture the mastermind before they could enter the hidden door in the library, which Shuichi believed to lead to the place where the Monokuma spares were created. They also set up cameras to automatically take pictures of the mastermind, so that they'd have evidence to show their fellow colleagues. If they could pull this off, then maybe they could stop the killing game before it even started. There were no guarantees that it would work or that the mastermind would even go to the library as they expected. But it was all they had, so it was definitely worth a shot.

She had to remain focused. After all, Rantaro was among the small group that went to the basement a while ago, and that meant there was a small chance that he could be the mastermind. But he wouldn't say those things if he were, right? No, she knew he wouldn't. She couldn't tell how, but she was sure of it. She wanted to trust him, and she was going to. Whether that was the wrong decision or not, she'll deal with it when the time comes. All she can do right now is stick to the belief that everything would work out.

Kaede let out a breath of relief when Shuichi's slender figure came through the door. The boy stopped in his tracks and looked at her in confusion.

"...Akamatsu-san? Why are you sweeping?" He asked, his eyes barely visible thanks to his hat.

"Huh? O-Oh, no reason..." She blushed, suddenly feeling stupid. She tried to change the subject. "Anyway, what about the people down in the basement?"

Shuichi scratched his chin. "Everything is okay. They all went to the Game Room."

 _The Game Room? Why there?_

Kaede pondered in silence. She doubted they were there to play anything. What other reason could they have though? Glancing at Shuichi, she could tell that he too was curious about that.

But before she could ask him about it, the monitor on the ceiling emitted a loud beep, and the images displayed changed. There was now an image of a laughing Monokuma, and next to him were the words...

 **"In 1 hour... Everyone dies."**

"..."

Kaede looked at the words with dread, and suddenly felt herself unable to speak. She gulped, her anxiety returning stronger than ever.

"...There's only one hour left until the time limit." Shuichi broke the silence. From his tone Kaede could tell that he wasn't looking forward to it either.

She nodded nervously, unsure about what to say. "Yeah, it's almost time..."

Silence. Both were nervous and trying their best to stay calm. But how could they, knowing they could die in less than 60 minutes from now?

"I'm sure the mastermind will make their move soon." Shuichi started, but it didn't seem like he believed in his own words. "If Monokuma is going to show up when time runs out, the mastermind will go to the library and go through that door. We'll get them when that happens." He told her, glancing at her from under his hat.

Kaede flashed a weak smile. "...I hope so." Her voice didn't sound like her, and both of them knew that. Sighing, she looked through the barely open door with a melancholic gaze. "I know it's probably too much to ask, but... I'd really like it if this had a happy ending. One where no one got hurt..."

The detective looked at her with concern. Her body was trembling and she was visibly scared, but he wasn't sure how he could cheer her up, specially when he was going through the same. But seeing her like that was worse tha facing his imminet death. He slowly brought his hand to his head and removed his cap. The pianist watched in awe as the scene unfolded, surprise and amazement taking over her thanks to that simple gesture. He timidly brought his eyes to hers, and mustering all the courage and determination he could..

"We'll make it happen, Akamatsu-san. We'll put an end to this."

Stunned for a few seconds, Kaede finally recovered from her daze to flash the detective an honest smile. "Yeah... I'm counting on you, Saihara-kun."

The boy shyly smiled back before turning his face away, trying to hide the fact he was blushing. Kaede watched him with amusement, her smile still on her face. It slowly vanished as he glanced at the monitor again. Sighing, she adjusted her backpack straps on her shoulders, feeling the weight in her back reminding her of what she had to do in case everything went wrong. Shuichi didn't know about it. If he did, she wouldn't be carrying that thing right now.

A shot put ball.

 _"...We'll put an end to this, Saihara-kun... No matter what it takes, we'll end this game."_ She thought, watching in silence as the timer on the screen kept decreasing...

* * *

...

 **Meanwhile...**

...

Even the basement's hallways wasn't devoid of the heinous song that started playing a while ago, though he could say it was slighty quieter since there weren't any monitors with speakers out there. The boy was moving fast, yet one could say his steps were almost stealthy, as if people would be able to hear him through that loud song if he made enough noise. He clenched his fists. He had something he had to do, something that only HE could do. And he wouldn't let anything stop him.

Reaching the end of the hallway, he slowly opened the rear entrance to the library and looked inside. He looked back the way he came from and cautiously entered the smelly room. Thankfully, it was empty, otherwise he'd have some trouble on his hands. He frowned in annoyance, realizing that as it turns out, Monokuma had fulfilled his objective after all. Despite his best intentions to cooperate and his honest desire to work together with everyone, Rantaro simply couldn't bring himself to trust anyone. Specially now that the people around him had more than enough reasons to kill, he wouldn't carelessly involve himself with the others. He tensed as he delved further into the book-filled room, inspecting every nook and cranny to make sure he didn't have company. His instincts were screaming at him, telling him something bad would happen. He just wasn't sure what.

Trying to remain calm and composed, he took a deep breath and took a good look at the student handbook he'd been carrying with him. At first, any student would assume it was just his Monopad, which wasn't anything new since everyone had one. But there was more to it than that. Once he turned the screen on, what popped up wasn't his name, or the usual Monopad functions. Instead, scribbled in the middle of the screen were the words...

 **Survivor Perk**

 _"..."_

The green haired teenager stared at the Monopad in silence for a few seconds. His ever present smile gone, one could say his expression was anything but friendly right now, perhaps even a bit menacing. He checked his surroundings for possible eavesdroppers or witnesses once again, frustrated at how paranoid he was acting. His life was on the line though, so how he was acting was hardly of his concern right now.

"...I don't get it." He said to no one in particular, furrowing his brows as watched the screen change into a map. Holding the monopad on his left hand, he moved his right index across the screen, studying the scattered pieces of the map until he found the one he was looking for. The screen displayed a simplified version of the basement, showing both the game room he just exited from and the library, where he was currently in. At first sight, one could easily miss what was wrong with that map if they didn't pay enough attention. But as Rantaro made sure to check and re-check, there was no doubt.

There was a hidden room in the library.

After studying the map for some time, he finally tapped the small icon next to the map, with resembled a message balloon. Immediately the screen changed again, this time showing him a text he could never get used to reading.

 **"Clue to end the killing game**

 **The mastermind who is behind the killing game is hiding somewhere in the academy. Your best chance of exposing them is when Monokuma needs a spare. At that time, the mastermind will go to the library's hidden room.**

 **To prove this hint is accurate, I'll predict something. The first thing you will remember is the Ultimate Hunt.**

 **Only share this information with people who you know you can trust. How you determine that will mean your life or your death.**

 **-Rantaro Amami.** "

"..."

Time slowed down everytime he readed that message, and this time was no exception. He scanned the entire message twice in just a few seconds, but his eyes would always stop moving and stare questioningly at the signature written in the end. He kept staring at his own name for what seemed like an eternity, unable to refrain from giving it some thought.

The questions he made himself everytime he used that Monopad crossed his mind as usual. What exactly was that perk? Why did he have it? What did it mean by 'Survivor'? Was it related to his talent somehow? Then why couldn't he remember anything? His talent, writing that message, the Ultimate Hunt... Was it all planned by Monokuma to confuse him? If so... Then why him?

Nothing made any sense. All those questions and their lack of answers were taking a toll on him, and as much as he tried to deny it, Rantaro felt lost. He didn't know what to believe in anymore, and that included himself. He couldn't even tell if he had some kind of amnesia or not. What if he never even had a talent in the first place? Why did he of all people had to go through this?

But this time, he had no time to ponder about any of it. If Monokuma intended to keep his word, then he was an hour away from losing his life. He had questions he couldn't answer, but he had no intention of dying without figuring them out. If it was his fate to die a meaningless death in that school, then he would at least find the answers he sought before that.

No... That wasn't good enough.

 _If that's my fate... Then I'll change it. I will survive... No matter what._

He clenched his fist. Rantaro wasn't going to die with nothing but his name. Even if the answers he wanted weren't ones he wanted to hear, he was going to seek them.

And he was going to obtain them.

Rantaro studied the library and didn't take long to find where the hidden door was hidden. The map gave him an idea of where it could be, but it was still a hidden door and therefore not meant to be found so easily. But since he knew exactly what he was looking for, it took no more than a few moments to figure out the door was behind one of the bookcases, and the subtle markings on the ground were quick to give away which was the one. Unconsciously tightening the grip on his perk Monopad, he stared at the bookcase uncertainly. He couldn't bring himself to simply believe in that message without some kind of evidence, but he didn't have any other leads. He had to open that door.

A deep breath. He closed his eyes as he did so, mentally preparing himself for the moment that could decide his life or his death. Slapping his cheeks, he glared at the bookcase in silence as he placed his Survivor Perk in his pocket. With both his hands free, he reached for the bookcase, and...

He stopped.

As if moving by itself, Rantaro's arm pulled back, returning to it's natural position. The bookcase remained untouched, somehow compelling him to do it. But he just stared at it with gritted teeth and clenched fists, unable to do so for some reason.

 _"What the hell am I doing?"_ He asked himself, wondering just why would he hesitate at such a critical moment. His instincts were telling him to not touch that bookcase, that his fate would be sealed the moment he did so. He tried to ignore it, but simply couldn't bring himself to do it. There was something ominous about it, something he couldn't understand. He spend several seconds just watching the bookcase, trying to ignore the urge to leave and never approach it again. But another side of him kept telling him to stop hesitating and open the damn door already. After what seemed like an eternity passed, he finally made up his mind.

This wasn't the time to be uncertain about anything. He HAD to open that door and stop the killing game before it started. There shouldn't be any doubts, and he wouldn't allow himself to have any. He reached for the book case again, this time absolutely resolved to open it. Nothing in this world would stop him this time.

"Hey, Amami-kun!"

...Except for that.

Rantaro turned back with a surprised expression, only to find Kaito and Tenko approaching him. Apparently, they entered from the library's main entrance, which was directly behind him. He wouldn't have heard them coming if Kaito hadn't yelled, thanks to that ridiculously loud song. Forcing a convincing, casual smile, he turned towards them and waved his hand in a friendly manner.

"Ah, hey Momota-san. Chabashira-san. Didn't see you coming." He told them, his voice welcoming despite his conflicting emotions.

"Hey man. Weren't you going to the bathroom? What are you doing here?" Kaito asked, sounding confused, but not hostile.

On the other hand, Tenko glared at Rantaro with suspicion and something akin to disgust. "Hmph, obviously he lied to do typical degenerate stuff. I bet you were looking for porn magazines, weren't you?!"

Both men in the room sweatdropped. Despite the rudeness, however, Rantaro just raised his hands defensively and laughed it off. "Haha, no, I'm afraid not. I just figured that since the library was on my way there, I should stop by to try and find this book I've been meaning to read." He then sighed and brought both hands to his waist, looking troubled. "I don't mean to sound negative, but since there's a chance we could die soon, I'd like to at least see if the main character finds his pig." He told them, satisfied at how convincing his lie was. Tenko didn't seem to believe him, but from her stare it was probably just because he was a guy.

Kaito punched both hands together and frowned. "Hey, don't give me that. If you give up before you even try, then how are you going to achieve anything?!" Then, as soon as it came, his frown was replaced with a huge smile and a thumbs up. "There's no way we're dying here! We won't let things go Monokuma's way. Isn't that why we grouped up in the game room in the first place? And don't worry, I'm sure he'll find his pig!" He exclaimed, suddenly enthusiastic.

"W-Why are you fired up all of a sudden?! And what the hell kind of book is that anyway?!" Tenko asked in an annoyed tone after jumping in surprise from Kaito's yell. Her expression showed as clear as day that she was convinced the book was porn.

Rantaro laughed again. "Haha, I guess you're right. It's too soon to throw the bucket."

"It sure is! So let's head back and think about how we're gonna put that bear in it's place!" Kaito punched his hands together in front of him again, this time flashing a determined smirk. "You'll have plenty of time to read once we get out of here. Isn't that right, Tenko?!" Kaito elbowed Tenko's shoulder playfully.

"L-Like I care! And don't touch me, degenerate! Next time I'll give you a taste of my Neo-Aikido!"

Kaito smiled and nudged her again. "Oh, come on! You don't really mean th-"

"HIIIIIYAAAAA!"

In a second, Kaito's body was thrown into the ground like a piece of trash. It was so fast that Rantaro was barely able to see what happened, widening his eyes in surprise and amusement at the scene. Tenko frowned and raised her hands defensively at the fallen astronaut- or what was left of him. Dazed and not sure what just happened, Kaito just groaned in pain as he slowly got up.

"W-What the hell was that..." He managed, surprised nothing in his body was broken. Rantaro offered a slightly concerned look, while Tenko just kept her guard and her glare up.

At that moment, the huge monitor on the library let out a beep, and soon the images that were displayed changed.

 **"In 1 hour... Everyone dies"**

All three stared at the message with complicated expressions. Eventually, Rantaro broke the silence.

"Welp, guess we're running out of time. That's enough foolin' around, you two."

"F-Fooling around?" The neo-aikido fighter said, concerned for a moment that it could've been interpreted that way, but then remembering it came from a degenerate male and sulking.

"Shit, you're right... We better get back to the others." Kaito said, sounding a bit more serious, though limping rather dramatically as he went for the door. With a 'hmph', Tenko followed right behind, still on guard and ready to throw both Kaito and Rantaro away should they piss her off. Once both left the room, Rantaro threw a glance at the moving bookcase that he didn't get to activate. For a moment he thought about doing it now, but perished the thought. Perhaps now wasn't the time. Monokuma won't need a spare until the very last minute, so he could wait until then. He decided to trust his instincts, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision.

"Hey, you! What are you waiting for, degenerate?!" Tenko yelled from the door.

"Coming!" Rantaro replied casually, turning his back on the bookcase and leaving the room.

He closed the door behind him, unaware of the looming shadow that watched him leave with hatred in their eyes. The bookcase left untouched, the menacing figure on the other side backed off from the hidden door and made it's way to another hidden passage, silently vowing to kill the green haired teen next time.

* * *

...

 **"In 15 minutes... Everyone dies."**

"...You fool. You really think we could do something so absurd in such little time?"

"Hey, we'll never know until we try!"

With a sigh, Rantaro lazily swirled a finger around a thread of his messy hair, watching the scene before him with a clear lack of interest, but making his best effort to hide his apathy behind his ever present smile. Sitting on a chair with it's back facing him, Rantaro leaned forward and rested both arms on it, his foot tapping somewhat impatiently on the floor.

The last forty-five minutes haven't been productive at all. Rantaro, along with six other students, had gathered in the game room to try to come up with a plan to defend themselves against Monokuma and it's alleged army of spares once the time limit expired. The strategy meeting, which was 'organized' by Kaito, was composed of himself, Tenko, Maki, Gonta, Himiko, Angie and Rantaro. According to the astronaut, they needed to discuss a way to fight back against Monokuma once he attacked them, and with that in mind, he only invited people who he thought that could put up a fight.

As much as the idea made sense, Rantaro couldn't understand or agree with this line-up. For starters, he invited Gonta for his inhuman strength and Tenko for her talent, which made sense. But he didn't consider the fact that Gonta wasn't really the intellectual type, or the fact that Tenko despised men and wasn't likely to listen to their opinion, which meant neither would contribute much to the discussion. Himiko and Angie were there because Kaito believed that their magic and belief in Atua respectively would prove useful for fighting Monokuma, which was obviously some ridiculous reasoning. He picked Maki, whose talent was pretty much the opposite of fighting, just because he thought she could fight. True, she did look intimidating, but that was hardly a reason to invite someone to a discussion that could mean their lives. And then there was himself, someone who didn't even know their ultimate talent. And yet, he was probably Kaito's best pick of them all, though the astronaut himself was probably unaware of that.

Needless to say, the meeting was a complete mess. Gonta had locked himself in the AV room to watch a movie about bugs, since he claimed it would help him build his spirit to fight. Angie didn't contribute with more than a few preaches about Atua, and was now calmly on her knees, praying with a serene expression in her face, as if her life wasn't about to end in 15- no, 14 minutes. Tenko kept insisting that Himiko should use her magic, but aside from the small girl's clear boredom and laziness, Himiko insisted that she didn't have enough energy to conjure magic, so they weren't much help either. Kaito kept coming up with ridiculous ideas, like having Miu Iruma build a spaceship to get everyone out or flooding the school to destroy all Monokumas. Maki would calmly (despite being clearly annoyed) point out how ridiculous Kaito's plans were, so they were basically arguing between each other. Rantaro couldn't really find any openings in any of the conversations to participate in them, so he just watched everyone's antics. He had to admit that it was amusing at first, but it got boring fast.

 _...Tch. I knew this was a bad idea. I have no choice... but to follow my original plan._

Rantaro got up. The mere gesture was enough to catch the attention of Kaito and Maki, who turned to face him. The others either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Alright everyone, I guess that's enough wasting our times." The talentless teen said as he pushed the chair out of his way, his tone not as casual as it usually was, despite his smile being there. This time, he got the full attention of everyone in the room. Maki furrowed her brows, seemingly being on guard against the subtle change in Rantaro's behavior. Tenko glared at him for getting Himiko's attention away from her, but stayed silent.

"Amami-kun...?" Kaito asked, fully turning towards the teen with a curious gaze.

Rantaro wore a troubled expression, resting both hands on his waist and letting out a sigh. "I mean no offense, Momota-san. But it's clear that we're getting nowhere like this. Time is running out and we couldn't think of anything, and at this point I doubt we will. I guess it's pointless to keep this meeting going." He said, not holding back any of his thoughts or trying to pick any nice words.

The meeting was a mistake from the very beginning, and Rantaro knew it. It was unfortunate, but he couldn't simply deny Kaito's invitation, since it could draw unwanted suspicion towards him. It did seem like a reasonable idea at first, until he realized Kaito was definitely not the best at organizing strategical meetings. It was too late to quit though, since again, it would sound suspicious. He went along with it, using the meeting as an excuse to go to the basement and, later on, the library so that he could investigate the hidden room. But he didn't expect that Kaito would go looking for him, claiming he didn't want to continue the meeting without Rantaro present. The teen did appreciate the astronaut's thoughtfulness, but it undeniably ruined his plans. If there was any chance that his plan could still work, then he needed to leave that meeting as soon as possible. There was no more time to waste.

"H-Hold on, Amami-kun. I know we haven't made much progress-"

"Or any at all." Maki pointed.

Kaito frowned, but continued nevertheless. "...but we can't give up yet! We'll come up with something, I just know it!"

"Hmmm, are we now?" Angie asked no one in particular, oddly calm despite the situation. "Then we must wait for Atua's guidance. If we all believe it with all our hearts, he'll show us the right path." Angie murmured, closing her eyes and slightly opening her arms, as if ready to reach nirvana.

"Atua isn't getting us out of here!" Tenko exclaimed, and for a second Rantaro thought she would actually contribute to the discussion with a reasonable suggestion for a plan of action, but- "We have Himiko-chan's magic, and that's more than enough! Isn't that right, Himiko-chan?!" The neo-aikido fighter turned excitedly towards the small girl, who seemed deeply annoyed.

"...I told you already. I don't have enough MP to cast any spells right now." The girl looked down, pouting.

Everyone in the room didn't seem convinced, except for Tenko who got even more fired up and started to drool. "That's alright! Just teach me how to transfer MP and I'll give you all my-"

"You really think it's that simple, huh?"

Rantaro cut her off, his expression having grown considerably darker as he held his thumb and index to his chin and peered at her sideways. His long bangs casted shadows around his eyes, which were nearly wide open in a somewhat intimidating look of annoyance and anger.

Tenko flinched at the sudden pressure from his eyes, instinctively shutting up. After a split second of shock, she then glared at him uncertainly, mixed emotions filling her head. Maki observed him in silence, still tense.

Kaito didn't fail to notice the sudden change in demeanor. "...What do you mean by that?"

As soon as it came, Rantaro's menacing expression vanished, being replaced by his usual smile. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Nah, it's nothing. Forget I said anything." He opened his arms and palms sideways in a non-hostile gesture. "But really, I see no point in this rendezvous anymore since we're not getting anywhere. I mean, it's not like I've been of any help so far anyway, right?" He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly again. He then turned his back on everyone. "Don't take this personally, Momota-san. I won't stop you from discussing, but count me out."

Without waiting for a reply, Rantaro slowly made his way to the exit. Somehow he wasn't surprised to see Kaito standing his way, though that didn't make it any less troublesome.

"Oy, wait a second! Are you serious about that, Amami-kun?!"

"Let him go, Momota." Maki said in an uninterested tone. "He isn't wrong. We've been doing nothing but wasting time. However, if he doesn't want to stay then there's no point in keeping him."

Kaito eyed Maki, then the green haired teen. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, until Kaito finally looked away with a defeated sigh.

"Fine. I won't get in your way." He rubbed the back of his head. Kaito didn't seem angry or disappointed, instead accepting his decision without resistance. "Just answer me this: Where are you going now?" He turned and asked Rantaro. From his expression he was just curious, and maybe somewhat concerned.

Rantaro offered a reassuring smile and chuckled. "Are you worried that I might do something... reckless?"

Kaito had a troubled frown on his face "Wha- The hell?! No, I-"

"Haha, relax. I'm just teasing. Well, I don't blame you if you do. Anything is possible at this point, isn't it?" He crossed his arms and looked away, letting out a sigh. "But don't worry, it's nothing like that. To be honest, I have a plan of my own that I'm willing to try. I'm not sure if it's going to work, but I'll give it a shot before it's too late."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Wait, you have a plan?"

Angie, who was seemingly deep in yet another prayer, suddenly opened and widened her eyes, pointing her index up and looking surprised. "Oohhh, that reminds me... Rantaro, didn't you say earlier that you were going to end the killing game?"

Everyone in the room suddenly looked surprised.

"Whoa whoa, wait, what?! Is that true, Amami-kun?" Kaito asked, evidently curious.

 _Great. Me and my big mouth._

Rantaro raised his hands defensively and smiled awkwardly. "Well, that was the idea. I know it's easier said than done, but who knows? I might be able to pull it off."

"How?" Maki inquired. Her expression didn't betray her skepticism.

The green haired teen sighed. "Sorry, can't really share the details. It's something I have to try by myself. Besides, you're not wrong to doubt me. As I mentioned, I'm not that sure it might work either."

Maki said nothing, silently staring deep into Rantaro's eyes as if to try and see some kind of lie or malicy through them. Suddenly the room was quiet,save of course for the loud music that was still playing. Everyone else exchanging glances and murmuring between themselves. It was evident that everyone was curious about the alleged plan, but no one knew what to think of it when he barely said anything about it. The teen said nothing himself, knowing better than to expect everyone to understand and trust him when he wasn't exactly acting like the most trustworthy person in the room.

Eventually, Kaito nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Alright. Well, I won't stick my nose in it! I decided to believe in you. But don't do anything too rash, okay?"

Maki and Tenko didn't seem pleased with this outcome and looked like they wanted to say something, but they stayed quiet. Rantaro crossed his arms.

"Well, that was easy. Are you sure you're ok with that?" He asked. He could tell Kaito wasn't fully certain about what to make of the situation himself, but was taken by surprise when the astronaut extended his arm towards him and flashed him a huge grin and a thumbs up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I believe in you because I want to. Do I need a reason other than that? I mean, sure, I might get betrayed in the end, but... If I worry about that, I won't be able to believe in the people I wanna believe in!"

Rantaro's eyes widened. To think someone would actually trust others despite being thrown into this game... It was a bit hard for him to understand, mostly because he had more reasons to be paranoid than anyone. But it was still rather admirable, and he had to admit it wasn't a bad thing, though he couldn't really bring himself to believe it 100%.

His face then slowly turned into a smile again. "Haha, you're something else, Momota-san." He said, honestly meaning it. "I'll do my best to meet your expectations then, hm?" He turned towards the others. "What about you guys?"

Maki looked away as she brushed her hair with her hand, a stoic look on her face. "Why are you asking us? No one is holding you here."

"The less males, the better." Tenko scowled, still somewhat tense as she faced Rantaro.

Neither Himiko or Angie seemed like they had anything to say, or that they were any interested whether he stayed or not. Rantaro nodded in satisfaction, taking this as his cue to leave.

"Alright then. Sorry again, everyone. I wish you guys good luck with coming up with something. And please, don't go after me this time." He turned his back on everyone and walked away, reaching for the door handl-

 ***ding dong, dong ding!***

 _What...?_

Rantaro stopped on his tracks immediately, widening his eyes as he suddenly had a feeling that something was wrong. **Horribly** wrong. The fact that the loud song that had been playing nonstop for the past hour had suddenly ceased made alarms ring on his head. He knew he hadn't ran out of time, so what just happened?

"W-What was that?!" Kaito exclaimed.

Everyone in the room went tense, a sudden wave of anxiety overwhelming them. Everyone's attention soon turned to the monitor huge monitor in one of the corners of the room, which they hadn't even realized that had gone off until it made a new sound. The black screen suddenly shifted into an image of Monokuma holding a glass of what seemed like champagne. He was sitting in an expensive-looking office chair and was behind a neatly organized wooden desk, filled with tasty-looking food. While Rantaro couldn't care less about Monokuma was doing, what the bear said sent shivers down his spine.

" **A body has been discovered! Everyone please gather in the classroom 1-A!** "

And with that, the screen went off again, leaving the room in a deafening silence.

Rantaro's eyes widened as far as they could, taking a few seconds to fully absorb the information. Suddenly, he found his body moving before he could process it, and when he realized, he was already bolting through the basement's corridor, towards the stairs.

"A-Amami-kun!" He heard Kaito yell, and soon he could hear the sound of several footsteps behind as everyone ran out of the room. He didn't pay them any mind, too focused on going up the staircase as fast as he could, very nearly jumping several steps rather than running up normally.

 _This can't be..._

He hoped with all his might that it was some kind of joke, that Monokuma was somehow resorting to desperate tactics to mess with their minds, but it didn't take long for him to crush whatever hope he had into pieces.

He hadn't even finished going up the stairs when he realized where he was supposed to go. He hadn't really stopped to think about where he was going when he bolted out of the game room, but he inadvertedly ended up there. After all, there was only one classroom on the first floor.

The one right by the stairs to the basement.

Suddenly, the world started moving a lot slower as the image before him was burned into his eyes, and he found himself unable to move. He knew there were people gathered there already, but his brain couldn't even process who they were. Some of them were screaming in horror and some of them were talking among themselves, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. All he could see was red. There were big and small stains of a red liquid splattered all over the walls, a few drops of it slowly streaming down and dirtying the walls even further.

And there... Lying on the ground, unmoving in a pool of their own blood...

Was the Ultimate Detective, Shuichi Saihara.

...

...

...

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 **A/N: _Well, there you have it! How did you like the first chapter?_**

 ** _I am aware that many of you will hate me for killing Shuichi, but come on, how could I write a story about Rantaro and Kaede with Shuichi there, ready to snatch the waifu away? I'd have to go with the typical overused cliches, such as Kaede being rejected by Shuichi and seeking comfort in Rantaro. Sorry, but no. Love triangles annoy the fuck out of me, so they won't be staining this story. Also, this is an unpopular opinion (triggered noises incoming), but I find Shuichi's character as boring as stale white bread, like pretty much all protagonists from this series except maybe for Komaru. One of my intents with this fanfic is to explore how the game would've been if Kaede had been the protagonist from beginning to end, won't that be interesting?_**

 ** _So please, do try to not hate me. Besides, this is a killing game fanfic. Characters WILL, unfortunately, die for your entertainment, but hey, you like Danganronpa. You can handle that!_**

 ** _As I hope you've noticed, I made use of several actual events that happened in the game and phrases that were said by the characters, so as to make this fanfic as close as possible to the real thing. I also tried to describe them based on how they look in their sprites. I don't like to make the characters OOC or to make up stuff, so I hope you didn't get this impression. Everything you've read here is information you've seen in the actual game, but in the future chapters I might add some things from my own head so as to fill in possible story gaps and make things a bit more interesting. Look forward to it!_**

 ** _I guess this is it for now. I hope you enjoyed the prologue, and if you did, please do leave a review to let me know. Your feedback is very important to me!_**

 ** _Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter!_**


	2. Chapter I

**_A/N:_** _ **Hey everyone! Took me nearly two months, but chapter 2 is finally up. I apologize for taking so long, but a number of issues prevented me from updating earlier. I'll try to make faster updates from now on. I'd also like to thank everyone who reviewed and followed my story! You guys rock!**_

 _ **So without further ado, let's proceed!**_

* * *

 ** _Chapter I: A Promise Unforgotten._**

...

...

...

 ***In 15 minutes... Everyone dies.***

With a loud beep, the time counter displayed in the monitor decreased yet again. It had been like that with every passing minute since the last hour started. Even though she knew it would happen, every beep was followed by a recorded Monokuma laughter that was loud enough to startle Kaede every time, making her unconsciously grip the chair in front of her, and then nervously pull her shaking hand back with a scowl. Both she and Shuichi were still in the classroom by the basement, at this point begging internally for something to happen. Ever since the detective returned, no one had come up from the basement or went down there. The reciever in Shuichi's hand never came to life, which meant that no one attempted to move the bookcase case and open the hidden door. There was no sign of Monokuma or the Monokubs either. So all they could do was wait.

They were both so tense that they could easily shatter to pieces if someone pushed them to the ground. A million thoughts kept crossing their minds in a speed that they could barely process, and the pressure from the fact that they could lose their lives in a quarter of an hour didn't exactly made things any better. Shuichi kept going over the plan in his head, nervous at the possibility that he might have made some mistake he was unaware of. What if he forgot to turn on the cameras or sensors, or if the reciever was broken? What if the mastermind knew about his plan somehow? What if there was another hidden room somewhere? Gritting his teeth, he kept staring at the reciever in his hand. All he needed was a beep, a small vibration, anything at all from it for him to get up from his chair and dash downstairs.

Kaede could clearly see how nervous the boy was from how he kept frenetically tapping his foot on the ground and peering at the small piece of plastic in his hand as if it could grow wings at any moment. She wasn't really doing any better than him, if not worse, so she kept her mouth shut. Among all the pressure from the loud song, the time limit and their imminent deaths, the mutual silence between them was the only thing giving them some peace of mind, if one could even call it that. She, too, was concerned about something having gone wrong with the plan, specially since she had one of her own. But what worried her the most were the others. What was going through their minds right now, that they were minutes away from what she assumed wouldn't be a quick, painless death?

 _Honestly... It's not that hard to imagine what they're thinking, specially since... I'm the same. I just hope I can end this before we start killing each other..._

Kaede hugged her backpack, the mere act helping her ease some of her tension. As much as the idea still sounded alien to her, and she was still having a hard time accepting it as something she HAD to do, she was determined to go through with her own plan. She felt bad for Shuichi since it was clear that he trusted her, and yet she was doing things behind his back that she was absolutely sure he wouldn't approve. Hell, she would probably scold him herself if she found out he planned to do what Monokuma wanted them to. She was fully aware of her hypocrisy, but honestly, this was no time to consider ethics anymore. There were innocent lives at stake; her own included. If her plan was the only way to keep everyone safe from harm, then she'd see it to it's end. Even if it meant staining her own hands in the process.

Yes. Kaede Akamatsu was planning to murder someone.

This very thought terrified her. After all, she was the one who kept telling everyone to work together. She was the one who told them to not commit murder under any circumstances, the one who tried to convince them numerous times to try and find their way out without spilling any blood. And yet, she was also the one who spent the last few days coming up with a way to kill someone. Kaede's lips turned upwards in a sad smile, trying her best to laugh at the irony of her actions rather than crying. There was no time to shed tears, and she wouldn't allow herself to do so. She had to remain strong.

 _...I'll have plenty of time to worry about things once we all get out of here._

She wasn't going to kill just anyone. She had a very specific target in mind, a target whose death would definitely change the fate of the killing game.

Her target was none other than the mastermind itself.

The pianist closed her eyes and took a deep breath, going over her scheme in her head for what must've been the millionth time. The plan was simple: She had to kill the mastermind before the killing game started. With no mastermind, the game would effectively end and they would be free to look for an exit at their leisure.

Exploiting Shuichi's own plan to expose the mastermind, Kaede secretly tampered with the detective's trap under the pretense of helping him set it up, turning his strategy to expose the mastermind into a process that would, hopefully, kill them. Instead of merely taking a picture, one of the cameras that Shuichi and Kaede set up in the library had the flash on. That would most likely alarm the mastermind and lure them towards the camera, which was hidden between some random books in one of the bookcases. And once it did... Kaede had a little surprise in store for them.

All she needed was her last signal: For the reciever in Shuichi's hand to ring. That would mean the mastermind moved the bookcase and that the camera had taken a picture of them. The final step was to wait for Shuichi to run out of the classroom towards the library, and the moment he exited the room, she would drop the shotput ball she was hiding in her backpack into the vent in the wall. Once it followed a path that Kaede made herself using the books from the library, it would fall right where the mastermind was supposed to be, killing them instantly.

But of course, it was still a shot in the dark. Kaede was aware that there were many chances of her plan going wrong, like the ball missing it's target or Shuichi waiting for her before leaving the room. But now that she was less than 10 minutes away from the end of the time limit, she clearly had no more time to come up with a new plan. She had no option but to have hope on what she came up.

 _It's all or nothing..._

"Hey, Akamatsu-san..." Shuichi suddenly called, breaking the silence between them.

Kaede jumped a little in surprise, the thought that Shuichi figured her plan out crossing her mind for a split second and making her heart skip a beat. She was quick to recover herself, trying not to sound so startled.

"W-What is it, Saihara-kun?" She asked, turning her gaze towards the boy.

He, on the other hand, kept his eyes glued to the reciever in his hand. "I'm... starting to think that our plan isn't going to work. I mean... I knew it was a gamble for the start, but..."

"Hey now..." Kaede interrupted him, wearing a comforting smile on her face. "It's too soon to give up. See, we still have 10 minutes. I don't want to sound like Momota-kun, but... Until then, we have to keep believing our plan will work!" She told him, though she wasn't sure if her words were meant for Shuichi or for herself. She was probably more nervous than he was, and she too was starting to doubt the mastermind would show up.

The detective shook his head. "Maybe, but... At this point... It's don't think it's wrong to start considering that we might die." He muttered.

Kaede looked down, a sad expression on her face. Yes, she felt the same. But it was heartbreaking to see that coming from the detective. They didn't know each other for more than a few days, but given the special circumstances they've met... They were quick to establish a bond and find strength in each other. Seeing him of the verge of losing all hope had an impact on Kaede as well.

 _I know how he feels... But we can't... we musn't lose faith. We HAVE to believe we're getting out of here!_

"Saihara-kun-"

"That's why." Kaede tried to comfort him somehow, but was interrupted. "That's why... I don't want to die and leave some things left unsaid. I don't want to die with any regrets."

"Huh...?" Kaede's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

Their eyes finally met, and Kaede had to fight the urge to let tears form in her eyes with all her willpower. Shuichi still had his hat removed, but now... His eyes were empty. That fire, that conviction he showed her an hour ago, were gone. They were replaced by the eyes of someone who had accepted their own death, like those of a terminal patient in a hospital. The insecurity over the talent he felt he didn't deserve came back stronger than ever, and it only got worse as the clock kept ticking. He threw all his hope on that plan, his dreams for a future where everyone escaped the killing game unharmed and became friends. But his anxiety, his fears, his despair... They were visibly winning the battle going on inside him, and for a moment Kaede honestly wondered if there was anything she could do for him.

"I'm sorry, Akamatsu-san. I don't want to think that because of my plan we might have spent our final moments doing absolutely nothing." He gritted his teeth, looking away. He was on the verge of tears as well. "I... can't bear to think that we might have lost the last hours of our lives because of me."

"Then don't!" Kaede exclaimed, exasperated. "Don't blame yourself for something that might not even happen! You... Your plan gave me hope. It gave me a will to fight. We worked so hard for it, to end this killing game once and for all. So there's no way this was a waste of time. You, me, and everyone else... We're getting out of here. ALIVE."

The detective sighed, once again looking at the reciever in his hand and unconsciously tightening the grip around it. "...That would be great, huh?" He mumbled to himself.

"Yes. It would be amazing." Kaede relaxed a little, hoping she'd gotten through him. "So please, don't give up. We can do this, I know we can. So... Hang in there, ok?"

Shuichi didn't respond. His expression didn't change, but Kaede said nothing either. Sighing, she hugged her backpack tighter. They stayed in silence for some moments until Shuichi spoke again.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

She looked up at him again. "...What is it?"

Silence. He sighed, a look of pain in his face as he looked at her.

"Akamatsu-san... The truth is... I-"

 ***Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!***

"Ah!"

Kaede's heart nearly leapt out of her chest once she realized what that new sound was. Shuichi's hand was trembling as he inspected the reciever in his hand, which was undeniably the source of the noise. One of it's two buttons were blinking, and the device itself vibrated with each buzz. There was no doubt.

Someone had moved the bookcase.

"S-Saihara-kun! The reciever!"

"Someone moved the bookcase! Hurry, Akamatsu-san!"

With that, Shuichi sprinted out of the classroom with the determination of a true Ultimate Detective.

"W-Wait for me!" Unfortunately, Kaede had no time to smile in satisfaction. Still holding her backpack, she quickly shoved her hand inside it and pulled the shotput ball, dropping it inside of the vent- which was left partially open, as soon as she reached it. Trying to make is as fast as possible so as to not alert Shuichi, she closed the vent and immediately ran for the door.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed something was wrong.

Shuichi hadn't gone down the stairs, much to Kaede's confusion. Instead, he had his back facing her and was walking straight forward towards a wall. Not just that, but he was walking funny, as if stumbling on his own feet. Before Kaede could even process the weird turn of events, sudden movement and the faint sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned her gaze to the right.

There was someone there. She couldn't tell who it was since they were clad in white, as if wrapped in a blanket like in some cheap halloween costume. They were running the opposite way from where Kaede was, and soon they disappeared from view once they made a turn somewhere. For a split second, she was almost sure that they were wearing some kind of mask.

More movement caught her attention, and this time she didn't even try to understand what was going on. She ran towards Shuichi, who suddenly fell to his knees right on top of some random patch of grass in the green-covered floor. He made a weird noise as he did so, and Kaede didn't think twice before kneeling next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Saihara-kun! What's wro-"

She never finished her sentence, bringing both hands to her mouth and widening her eyes, trying her best not to scream once she laid her eyes upon the detective's front.

Red.

So much red.

The grass. The floor. The wall in front of him. Even his black uniform was drenched in what she knew was red. The detective held both hands to his neck, an agonizing expression on his face as the red liquid kept gushing out of his body. Soon, he fell on his side, desperately gasping for air and for his pain to end. Shocked beyond words, Kaede felt unable to resist her urge to scream anymore letting out a terrified shriek as her brain struggled to register what was going on.

Suddenly, Shuichi's eyes moved and stared directly into hers, and that seemed to break her spell immediately. Opening her backpack, she pulled the spare vest she carried with her and with both hands she pushed Shuichi's hands away from his wound and pressed the pink fabric against it, holding on to the hope of somehow stopping the bleeding.

"S-Saihara-kun! Please, just hang in there! I-I'll get some help! ...You'll be f-fine!" She yelled, fear evident in her beautiful features as the pink vest turned into red into an alarmingly fast pace. With trembling hands she pushed the vest even harder, her desperation forcing her to ignore Shuichi's face contorting in pain. She had to stop the bleeding. She **HAD** to stop that bleeding somehow!

Suddenly, Shuichi's movement started slowing down. Kaede wasn't even aware that she had started crying until the tears started blurring her vision. "Saihara-kun! Stay with me! Stay with me, please!" She brought one of her hands to one of his own, gripping it tightly as she stared deep into his eyes. She felt his fingers wrap around her hand, weakly returning the grip.

But it was too late.

She knew there was nothing she could do, but she still cried her eyes out. Unable to look away, she kept staring deep into his eyes, watching the very moment the light escaped his eyes with grief and indescribable guilt. The grip on his hand suddenly weakened. He stopped moving.

Shuichi Saihara was dead.

Kaede stood there for several moments, tears streaming down her face as she felt unable to look away from him face. Suddenly, she couldn't bear to look at him anymore, crawling backwards before sitting down on the ground and hugging her own legs. Her entire body was shaking, and she couldn't stop sobbing or replaying the scene on her mind. Catching a glimpse on his body, sprawled on the floor like a forgotten doll, she buried her face between her thighs and screamed in sorrow.

After several minutes spent like that, she finally got up. She gave one last look at the Ultimate Detective before running away, looking for someone, ANYONE in the school to inform them of the tragic news.

* * *

"Kyaaaaaaaah!"

"Saihara-san?! But... why?!"

"Hrk...! Th-That's Saihara? Oh, thank god! I thought that was a pile of dirty rags!"

Several people who arrived at the scene at same time as Rantaro reacted immediately to the scene, but he didn't pay any attention to any of them.

Even after the initial shock passed, the green-haired teen still couldn't tear his gaze away from Shuichi's body. Realization damned upon him and he unconsciously clenched his fists so hard that his multiple rings marked his skin. The boy's hat was lying next to him, and the talentless teen couldn't help but grimace. Pretty much everyone was curious to see what Shuichi looked like without his hat, but none of them wanted to find out like this. He didn't even bother kneeling down to check the boy's pulse, since he knew it was pointless. There was no way anyone could stay alive after losing all that blood.

 _...This can't be...  
_  
Shortly after he got there himself he heard the footsteps behind him, but he didn't even turn to look. They were the last ones to arrive at the scene.

"What in the world?! What the hell is going on?!" Kaito yelled once he took sight of the scene.

"Ah...aah..aaahh..." Tenko, who arrived shortly afterwards, found herself stammering and unable to mutter a word before letting out a horrified screech. "GYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Right after she screamed, the remaining ultimates from the game room, which went to pick up Gonta, showed up at the stairs and stopped.

"Wh- What happen? Gonta hear scream- Huh?!" A startled Gonta asked before finally noticing the body on the floor and widening his eyes. "Waaaaaaaahhhh! B-Blood... So much blood!"

"Nyeeeh...?" A confused Himiko watched the body with curiosity, wondering if Shuichi could be faking it somehow. After all, she knew her master could do a magic trick (or was it a magic spell?) that started just like that.

"Huhhhh? Isn't that Shuichi? What's wrong with him?" Angie asked, seemingly unfazed at the sight of so much blood.

Maki scowled, as if it were obvious (and it was.) "...He's dead."

"Whaaaat? He's dead? Well, that's unfortunate." The artist sounded slightly surprised for a moment, but went back to her usual calmness.

"How can you be so calm?!" An exasperated Gonta bellowed, undoubtely speaking for many of the ones present since they were all startled by how Angie could act cheerful in such a situation.

As if the situation couldn't get any worse, Monokuma showed up out of nowhere as usual, startling everyone.

"M-Monokuma!" Someone exclaimed.

The bear let out a sigh. "What a relief. A murder took place just before time ran out! I gotta admit, I was a little nervous there cuz the killing game hadn't started yet. Geez... You guys really know how to keep me in suspense."

"C-Cut the bullshit! We, keeping you in suspense?! What about that song a while ago, you bastard?!" Kaito scowled, visibly provoked.

Rantaro said nothing, eyes still fixed on the body. He finally took notice of the pink sweater on top of Shuichi and brought his eyes up, but he didn't recognize what he saw.

Kaede looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and both her clothes and her hands were covered in blood. Not just that, but she looked devastated. She stared at the detective's body fixatedly, and he could see her small hands were shaking. Her usual charisma, her strong will, her usual optimism that were always present in her features was long gone. She looked broken. Her eyes showed no emotion, but they never left the boy's body. It was an unusual sight, and once again Rantaro felt himself clenching his fists. Not towards the fact that someone killed Shuichi and got the pianist to look so downcast.

He was angry at himself.

 _This is my fault... If only I had moved the damn bookcase, Saihara-kun wouldn't..._

He never finished his thoughts. He didn't know what would've happened if he did inspect the door, so he wouldn't allow himself to drown in self-hatred right now. A murder had just taken place, and that was more important than him.

"...What happened?" He asked no one in particular. He managed to remain calm and collected, but it honestly wouldn't take much for him to lose his mind.

Kirumi stepped forward, stopping Kaito and Monokuma from arguing any further. "I would also like to know... Can somebody explain the meaning of all this?"

"I meeeean... Isn't it obvious, though?" Everyone faced Kokichi, who had both hands behind his head in a casual manner. "Kaede is literally standing right there covered in blood."

At this Kaede finally looked up from the body, a surprised expression on her face. She looked around and found everyone looking at her. "...What?"

"Say, say! What was it like to kill someone, huh? I'm cuuurious!" Kokichi leaned forward, eyes sparkling. He jumped around like a kid, displaying such excitement all of a sudden that many questioned his sanity and his mental age. "How did you do it? I want to know!"

Kaede visibly reacted to his words, some emotion finally showing up on her face. "W-What are you saying?! I didn't kill him!"

"Ehhhh?" Kokichi suddenly seemed bored. "Then who did it? You were with him when it happened, right?"

Kaede's body tensed. "I... I don't know. I mean, I saw them, but... I couldn't tell who they were."

"That's hardly convincing." Maki pointed out matter-of-factly.

"I-It's the truth!" The pianist was getting visibly nervous.

Rantaro exhaled loudly. "Alright, that's enough everyone. Pointing fingers won't get us anywhere. If anything, Akamatsu-chan deserves the benefit of doubt like everyone else." He said, his tone somewhat intimidating despite his apparent calm. Kaede let out a sigh she didn't realize she was holding when all eyes went from her to the green-haired teen, and she made a mental note to thank him later. "So what now, Monokuma? Are we supposed to investigate Saihara-kun's death?" He asked.

"Nah. That's not necessary." Monokuma waved his paw dismissively. "Thanks to the First Blood Perk, there won't be a class trial, so that'd be a waste of time. With that said... If you're the blackened who killed Shuichi Saihara, raise your hand!"

"The one who... killed Saihara-kun?" Tsumugi repeated.

"I knew it! A degenerate male killed Rantaro, didn't he?!" Tenko exclaimed, not losing the opportunity to give everyone a piece of her mind.

Gonta seemed genuinely surprised. "How you know boy do it?!"

Tenko growled. "I just know, okay?! Violent crimes are almost always committed by violent, disgusting men!"

Monokuma purred. "Puhuhu... Don't get so angry. Send off your graduating classmate with warm farewells."

Just as suddenly as Monokuma showed up, the Monokubs showed up out of nowhere as well. All five bears were quick to make a fuss.

"Or send 'em off with hostility like a bunch of catty popular girls! That's fine too!" Monosuke bursted into the conversation.

Monotaro pulled out a shuriken and striked a pose. "But if it's gonna disrupt the process, then we're gonna bust out the Exisals!"

"Ughhh...I'm not gonna look... I don't wanna look at a nasty, dead body..." Monophanie mumbled, on the verge of puking.

Rantaro gritted his teeth, annoyed at the bears's antics and at himself for actually forgetting about the First Blood perk. He had been so busy pondering about his own perk that he completely failed to consider the prisoner's dilemma he pointed out himself. And now, as if listening to the mindless babbling of some obnoxious talking teddy bears wasn't enough, he couldn't help but blame himself even more for Shuichi's death. If he hadn't hesitated, or if he had left that meeting earlier, maybe he could have prevented a murder from being committed. Maybe he could have actually stopped the killing game. But he didn't, and now not only someone died, but the killer would walk free, leaving everyone behind to continue this meaningless massacre. But the worst part was... that there would be no justice for Shuichi.

All because of his mistake.

"So whoever did this really gets to graduate huh?" Monosuke asked.

Monokuma laughed. "Heck yeah! I'm a real stickler for the rules! I'm also tough on convenience store clerks!"

"Then congratulations! Would the blackened who's about to graduate please raise their hand!" The red and white colored bear said, visibly excited.

The hallway was tense for a moment, with everyone silently looking around to find the blackened. Kaede more than anyone wanted to know who it was, to know who could have killed Shuichi like that. But...

After several moments, Monosuke removed his glasses, cleaned them and put them on again. He then sounded frustrated. "What the-? No one's raisin' their hand?"

"Hey, didja hear me? All the blackened has to do to graduate is speak up, y'know?" A confused Monotaro explained.

More silence.

Monophanie tilted her head in confusion. "Hm? No one is stepping forward. What's going on?"

"Puhuhu... I see how it is." Monokuma's voice suddenly grew a lot more menacing. "The blackened has no need for the First Blood Perk. They would rather do a class trial."

"Excuse me?" Kirumi politely asked, hoping to have misheard him.

Monokuma laughed. "Very well then. I will give the blackened what they want and hold a class trial!"

Everyone in the room was visibly surprised at this turn of events. The Monokubs were excited, commenting on how this twist was unexpected and interesting. Everyone else, however, was in a mix of confusion and indignation.

"W-Wait... What's going on?" A troubled K1-B0 asked, seeming genuinely confused.

Monosuke scowled. "Were you sleeping or something, bolt-brain?!" The bear yelled. "Like we said before, we'll be holding a class trial so you bastards can find Saihara's killer."

"Get it right and only the blackened will be punished. But if you get it wrong-"

"Simultaneous surgery! Brain and knee! Then brain surgery again!"

Monotaro ignored Monokid's interruption and continued. "...Everyone besides the blackened will be punished."

"Everyone besides the blackened... Everyone..." Kaede muttered.

"This outcome is much worse. The culprit should have just stepped forward." Maki commented, clearly bothered.

Monokuma, who seemed a lot more cheerful and happy all of a sudden, turned towards the caretaker. "But before we hold the class trial, you gotta investigate first. If you don't investigate the murder, you won't be able to argue over who did it.

"So you're saying we need to do the investigation ourselves, too?" Ryoma - who had been silent for the most time, spoke up, not even trying to hide his annoyance as he exhaled loudly.

"Of course! The investigation is what makes the killing game so good! You guys are gonna investigate this crime and uncover the truth!" A giddish Monokuma said before chuckling. "Puhuhu... Things have gotten much more entertaining than I expected... Well, alright! The trial will begin soon, so please give this investigation your all!"

With that, both Monokuma and the Monokubs left, vanishing in thin air and leaving the 15 students behind in tense silence.

 _'Uncover the truth', huh?_

Rantaro looked down at Shuichi's body. It was ironic that he was gone when everyone needed him the most, and it sure made things more diffcult for them. His skills as a detective would sure come in handy right now, but there was no point in thinking about this. Guilt once again started to consume him as he looked at the body, but he didn't push it away this time. He decided to overcome it. Detective or not, he would do his best to solve this mystery and give the boy some justice. Clenching his fist, he silently vowed to find the killer.

And nothing was going to stop him.

His eyes locked on the pink vest covering Shuichi's neck and once again he found himself looking at Kaede. She too went back to staring at the corpse, her expression filled with anguish and sorrow. He watched her in silence, still not used to seeing such an energetic person looking so melancholic. It was like the person he was staring at and the person who he had tea with a few days ago were entirely different people. He couldn't help but notice the nail art he made for her was now ruined, her fingers covered in drying blood. He sure would have smiled if he had remembered the time they spent together at any other time, since the look of satisfaction she gave him that day over such simple art actually made him genuinely happy. But he couldn't bring himself to smile now. Not when she had that look on her face.

Before he realized, she had raised her gaze and locked eyes with him. They exchanged no words, both having a sudden unexplainable urge to study each other's features and feeling unable to look away. They spent several moments looking at each other, which seemed to last for ages. The more he looked deep into her beautiful amethyst eyes, the more Rantaro's intuiton kept telling him that she wasn't the culprit; that her suffering was genuine and that she undoubtely was in more pain than anyone else in that hallway. He sympathized with the pianist, getting the sudden urge to tell her everything would be fine, but fighting it off. There was no time to grief. Not until that murder was solved.

Kaede had no idea what led her to lose herself in the endless sea of green that were Rantaro's eyes. They were like a forest at night, enticing greenery filled with mystery and intrigue- an unsolvable puzzle partially covered by his long bangs. And yet, at that very moment, where she was suffering like never before, she could see compassion and understanding there. Right now, his usually unreadable eyes weren't those of someone judging or suspecting her, but more like those of someone that... was worried about her. His facial expression showed no emotion, but his silent gaze felt oddly comforting. The pianist didn't know why, but it was like he wanted to tell her that everything would be ok. And while everything seemed to suggest otherwise, she somehow accepted that idea and did her best to believe in it.

"Let's get going then!" An overly excited Kokichi said with sparkles in his eyes, which made Rantaro and Kaede finally break eye contact.

Gonta jumped in surprise and confusion. "W-Wait... Where do we start?"

"We're looking for the truth of Saihara's death, right? If we can't figure out who the culprit is, then we'll be annihilated for sure." Ryoma said.

Tenko's body stiffened. "I-I don't wanna be annihilated! The girls should be allowed to live, at least!"

"Then I would say it's in our best interest to start investigating now. We'd be better off not leaving anything out for the trial." Rantaro quickly pointed out, not wanting to waste any time.

Kirumi nodded. "I agree. But I believe Gokuhara-san did raise a valid question: ...Where do we start from? As far as I can see, there is not much to investigate here."

Tsumugi brought a finger to her cheek, looking up as she thought hard. "Hmm... Are there even other places we should be looking at?"

"Hmph. You've still got a ways to go..." Ryoma placed both hands inside his pockets, closing his eyes and slightly moving the lollipop in his mouth with his tongue. "We won't find anything standing here and doing nothing, that's for sure. There could be evidence anywhere in this school."

"Well, then what the fuck do you suggest, garden gnome?! You think there's time to go over the entire fucking academy?!" Miu roared, earning a death glare from the former tennis player and visibly flinching.

"Nyeeh... Looking around sounds like a pain..." A yawning Himiko complained, her expression not betraying her boredom.

"Maybe I can help!" Monokuma popped out of nowhere again, startling everyone present.

"You again?! The fuck are you doin' here?!" Miu quickly went back to her heinous behavior, but it only earned a chuckle from the dual-colored bear.

"Puhuhu... Don't be so crude. I've come to give you all a wonderful present."

Tenko glared at the bear in annoyance and suspicion. "This is giving me the heebie-jeebies."

The bear made some dramatic gestures. "Dun dun dunnnn! A mysterious fruit that will give you the power to stretch any part of you body once you eat it, but will make you drown if you try to swim!"

Tsumugi's eyes lit up "Could it be?! The Akuma No M-"

"Whoops, my bad. It's a Monokuma file."

"You... did that on purpose, didn't you?" The cosplayer seemed disappointed, but Monokuma just grinned.

"The Monokuma File is a detailed report that summarizes all the info about the dead body! But there's no info that would point to the blackened, cuz that would ruin the trials. I dunno, maybe you guys'll find it useful since you're not experienced investigators, y'know? I've sent it to your Monopads, so make sure to read and write an essay about it!"

As soon as he came, Monokuma vanished again. Not long after, multiple soft beeps and vibrations could be heard, and everyone simutaneously pulled out their Monopads to investigate it. True enough, there was a new icon there that read 'Monokuma File 1'.

"Pfft, Monokuma File? Like hell am I gonna believe something he made." Kaito voiced his annoyance.

"Whether you believe it or not, it would be prudent to examine it's contents, no?" Kirumi pointed out, and everyone seemed to agree.

"Atua has spoken... He says we shouldn't take our eyes off the Monopad." A serene Angie said, her voice calm yet filled with devotion.

Everyone seemed a bit uncertain and hesitant, but soon enough their curiosities won them over and they found themselves inspecting the file.

Kaede tapped the icon and moved a button to unlock the file. The screen immediately changed and displayed black and white images of Shuichi, one of his entire body and one of his face. Next to it was his name and an image that had the words 'DEAD' and 'RIP' written in it. Below these was a small chart containing basic information about Shuichi, such as his height, weight, chest size and blood type. There was nothing there that wasn't already in his report card, since these basic information about the students was accessible to everyone. Kaede grimaced once she saw his picture, but tried to ignore it. She was quick to notice the file had more to show. She was currently in the tab 'Victim', so she pressed the tab 'Situation' with her finger and the screen changed again.

Now Kaede was staring at a picture of Shuichi's dead body- as if she hadn't looked at it more than she'd like to. It was taken from above, giving a somewhat more panoramic view of his surroundings. There was another black and white image of Shuichi below it, similar to the ones from the previous tab, except this one had a huge pink circle around his neck.

Next to it was a text that read:

 **'Cause of Death:**

 **The body was discovered on the first floor, next to classroom 1-A.**

 **The estimated time of death is 9:50 p.m.**

 **The cause of death was blood loss due to his throat being slit by a sharp-edged tool. It appears his death was nearly instant.**

 **No other injuries were detected.'**

The pianist frowned, expecting more information than that from a supposedly detailed file. The cause of death was pretty much obvious, and most of the other information was essentially useless. She sighed, putting her Monopad away after memorizing the file's contents. From the look on Rantaro's face as he studied his monopad he wasn't much satisfied reading it either, but she refrained from entering another staring contest with him. She had to focus.

"I know it's a little late, but... seeing this makes it real... Saihara-kun... is really dead." Tsumugi said in a weak voice.

"This file is essentially useless." Maki pointed out. "There's nothing here that we didn't know already."

Rantaro shook his head. "Maybe not. There isn't much information, but there are important things we can't overlook here."

Kaede blinked. Maybe she misinterpreted when she thought he was as lost as her. "Like... what?"

Rantaro crossed his arms, wearing a serious, neutral expression. "The time of death comes to mind. We can use it to establish alibis. If we learn where everyone was during this time, we can rule out possible suspects."

"Ah, that's actually a pretty good idea!" Tsumugi beamed, smiling.

"I guess even degenerates can be useful from time to time." Tenko exclaimed, satisfied with the idea but apparently not for the fact that a male came up with it.

Rantaro ignored her. "We also learned that the murder weapon is a sharp tool. It narrows down our searches and gives us something to look for." He explained.

"Ah, you're right... I hadn't thought of any of that." Kaede said, astonished. She had to admit she was impressed. She knew Rantaro was smart and very observant, but it took her by surprise anyway. It made her realize how hopeless she was at investigating things unless someone pointed some things out for her. But if she wanted justice for Shuichi, then she couldn't depend on others to make her see the obvious. She had to work harder and pay more attention to her surroundings.

"It would certainly help if we knew what we should be looking for." Kirumi pointed, turning towards Kaede. "Akamatsu-san. You were present when the murder took place, correct?" She asked, polite and refined as usual.

Kaede still seemed on guard, but nodded and made her best to put on a serious front. "...Yeah. I was right inside the classroom."

"Then, would you mind describing to us what you've witnessed? Other than the Monokuma File, I believe your testimony is our only clue right now, so do try not to leave out any details." Korekiyo requested. Everyone else looked at the pianist expectantly.

Kaede nodded, taking a deep breath to mentally prepare herself. It wasn't easy to relive that scene, but she made an effort to explain everything in great detail. She told them how she and the detective were talking inside the classroom, that at one point they decided to leave and that Shuichi went first. Kaede also told everyone how she saw someone clad in white and wearing a mask running through the hallways before disappearing, and that shortly afterwards Shuichi fell to the ground, bleeding uncontrolably and unable to breathe. It was frustrating, but she had to admit she didn't see the murder weapon or anything that could point towards someone specific. Finally, she mentioned how she tried to help him somehow, using her spare vest to try to stop the bleeding, and how it was no use since the wound was so deep.

She decided not to mention their plan in the library, since there was still a chance that one of them was the mastermind and it could create even more unnecessary distrust among the group. Shuichi's murder and their plan seemed unrelated, so there was no point in bringing it up anyway. It was probably just bad luck that someone had moved the bookcase at that time. Either way, she'd investigate it in secret by herself later.

"...And that's basically what happened." She concluded.

Kirumi nodded. "I see. So that's what you meant when you said you saw the culprit but couldn't tell who they were." The maid said, mostly talking to herself.

"G-Gonta don't know anyone who dress in white!" The entomologist exclaimed, clearly concerned.

"There's me!" A grinning Kokichi pointed out, both hands behind his head.

"Ah, true! Wait- then... Ouma is killer?!" Gonta seemed scared, shock written all over his face.

The purple-haired kid's grin only grew wider. "Nishishishi... Now that wouldn't be a boring twist."

"Nyahaha! The case is closed! It's all thanks to Atua's guidance!" Angie clasped her hands together and celebrated, her cheerfulness almost being contagious.

Himiko let out a little smile. "That was easy..."

"...Huh? We know who the culprit is already?" K1-B0 asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Miu frowned. "Goddamn it, are you running low on batteries or some shit? The annoying brat who just confessed is literally standing next to you. Do you have the attention span of a rodent?!"

"That's robophobic!" He pointed a finger at the inventor. "I'll let you know that I was programmed to-"

"No one cares. It's about time we get a move on." Maki said coldly, interrupting the robot, who was quick to shut the fuck up.

"You're right! Let's go to trial!" Angie said cheerfully.

"T-Trial?! This case is far from over!" Tenko yelled, exasperated.

"Huh? Then Ouma not the killer?" Gonta asked.

"Well... We can't rule out that possibility just yet..." A pondering Tsumugi muttered.

"Will you all just SHUT UP ALREADY?!"

The hallway immediately fell silent, all eyes back to an enraged Kaede. Her scream was intense and filled with raw emotion, to the point where no one dared mutter another word. The pianist exhaled loudly, breathing heavily in an effort to regain her composure and to mentally prepare herself to let out what had been plaguing her for the last 30 minutes.

"Geez! Are we going to point fingers at each other like this? Are we going to treat what happened as some kind of guessing game?" She paused, looking at everyone in the eyes. "...Saihara-kun is dead. Do you get it? He's **dead.** " She clenched her fists. "He died... without accomplishing his dreams. He lost his future, his goals, his life... and he'll never get them back. And it was one of us who stole that from him. One of us took **his life**." She sighed, suddenly looking downcast. Her tone had grown weaker and filled with sadness with each sentence "I'm not going to blame the mastermind, or hate the killer. And I won't mourn his death either. Right now, there's something more important than all that. I don't want to suspect anyone, because that's exactly what Monokuma wants us to do. But we have to find his killer. Not just for ourselves, but for Saihara-kun as well. Don't you think he deserves that much?"

Silence.

Kaede kept staring at everyone, her eyes suddenly filled with stunning determination and confidence. It was like as if the broken girl from seconds ago never existed, finding strength in her own words. Of course, there was no way she'd have gotten over Shuichi's death so fast. It still hurt to think that the one person who supported and stayed by her side this whole time was dead, not to mention how hard it was to believe and accept that fact. But if she really wanted to get justice for him, then she had to follow her own words. There was no time to grieve. A killer was on the loose, and although she didn't quite understand why exactly they didn't step forward when they could have left, she had no intention of letting them get away with what they did. If they wanted a trial, so be it. Kaede Akamatsu had no intention of losing.

The resolution in her gaze was unlike any that she had shown so far, and many were so taken aback from the sudden change that they felt unable to maintain eye contact or utter a single word. Still, Kaede made sure to look at each and everyone present right in their eyes, and that was enough to make everyone realize just how serious she was.

The pianist was caught off guard when, amidst the sea of doubt and uncertainty that she created, she was met with a pair of emerald eyes peering right into hers, accompanied by a charming smile that she most certainly wasn't expecting. For a moment nothing made sense, and Kaede had to fight the urge to explore that greenery any further. She somehow managed to frown and hide her confusion.

"...What's so funny?" She asked, trying to sound angry but failing miserably.

Rantaro raised his hands defensively. "Ah, sorry. What you said just now was very inspiring, and it came out so naturally... I couldn't help but think you're a great leader." He said, his friendly smile still on his face.

"H-Huh...?" That was the trigger for her mind to go blank. Now she was the one at a loss for words, blushing and struggling not to show how embarrased she was.

Unfortunately (or thankfully), the talentless teen didn't fail to notice the change in her demeanor, and was quick to take the attention away from her. "Akamatsu-san is right. It's about time we start taking this seriously." He got serious, crossing his arms as he faced everyone. "Our lives are at stake here. If we don't act soon, we'll face the same fate as Saihara-san. And I'm sure no one here is comfortable with this outcome."

There was a silent agreement between all the students, who nodded at each other in acknowledgement.

"They're right. It's about time we start investigating. We're gonna find this culprit and kick their asses!" A pumped up Kaito punched his fists together.

Ryoma smirked. "Hmph. So it begins..."

"Nyeh... Let's get this over with..."

Kaede couldn't help but smile, watching with great satisfaction as the atmosphere changed and everyone started to focus on the investigation. She didn't know what they were going to find, or how she'd react once she got face to face with her friend's killer, and it wasn't inaccurate to say that she was afraid to find out. But the least she could do for her deceased friend was finding the truth about what happened. The one truth the detective would never be able to uncover.

 _Saihara-kun... I promise. I **will** find the killer._

And with that silent vow, Kaede faced her classmates with the same determination from before.

The investigation was about to start.

...

...

...

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's it for now! How do you like this chapter? Was it worth the wait? I hope so!**

 **If you look close enough, you will notice that I made use of several dialogues from the actual game to create my premise. Naturally, these dialogues were adapted in order to fit the plot that Im trying to create, as well as taking into consideration that there are different people involved. I hope none of the characters sound out of character or lame. I also hope you like the way I'm starting to make Rantaro and Kaede notice each other. In fact, a little bear-d told me that they might get even closer soon...**

 **Originally, my plan for this chapter was for the killer to actually step forward, so that there would be no class trial. I mean, the only reason there was a trial in the actual game was because there were special circumstances (aka, Kaede didn't really care about escaping alone, nor was she the actual killer), so I figured it would make sense for someone to actually make use of the First Blood perk since, well, it's a damn good perk. But then I thought "hey, this is a goddamn Danganronpa fanfic, nigga. Of course there should be a trial!". And so, I spent a lot of time coming up with Shuichi's murder in a way that made sense and that wouldn't be so easy to simply find out who the culprit is. The investigation starts next chapter, so look forward to it! I assure you it won't take so much time for the next update. I actually had to split this chapter since it was over 16k words when I blinked, so the next chapter is pretty much halfway done by now.**

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Please leave a review if you feel like giving me feedback, insults, hentai recommendations, or something like that. I'm all ears!**

 **See you soon!**


	3. Chapter II

**_Chapter II: Secrets_**

...

...

...

 _H-How did it turn out like this..._

With the time limit no longer in effect, the entire school was suddenly assaulted by an intense, unsettling silence, which actually seemed unrealistic given all the sonore pollution from an hour ago. The absence of the loud song was more than welcome, but it most certainly made Kaede self-aware of how the silence was much worse. It was no exaggeration to say that she could even hear her own heartbeats right now. It was mainly because of the situation she was currently in, which inevitably made her heart race ten times faster.

After finally managing to convince everyone that they should start investigating, it was soon discussed between everyone that it would be better to execute this investigation in pairs. That way, there was little to no chance that the culprit would somehow tamper with any possible evidence. Also, it was suggested that one of the pairs should stay at the crime scene at all times, for this very reason. No one saw any reason to disagree with that, and soon the party split up into small groups and everyone went their separate ways. It was at that moment that Kaede truly felt Shuichi's loss. Normally, there'd be no doubt on who would accompany her in a situation like this, but now more than ever she was painfully aware that her friend was gone. She tried to ignore the sudden loneliness and unease that assaulted her, but damn, it was hard.

Glancing around, Kaede took notice of how everyone was apparently having no problem in forming pairs for the investigation, which made her anxious. No one was giving her so much as a glance, and the formed pairs were quickly disappearing in the hallways. For a moment she thought she'd be doing the investigation by herself, and she could already picture the disaster it'd be. That was until someone approached her, a friendly smile in his face as usual.

 _"Akamatsu-san. Would you like to pair up with me for the investigation?"_

 _"Huh...? O-Oh, sure."_

 _He nodded, his smile growing a bit wider, just enough to show his satisfaction. "Haha, great. Let's do our best."_

 _At this she nodded. "Yeah... I'm counting on you, Amami-kun." She flashed a smile of her own, feeling a little better already._

A few minutes had passed since this small exchange. Not much happened since then, mostly because they had little to no leads. Other than she and Rantaro, only Ryoma and Kirumi were left, as they were randomly selected to stay at the crime scene together to guarantee no one would tamper with it. Neither seemed satisfied with this outcome. At the very least, Rantaro seemed to be taking the investigation seriously, much to Kaede's satisfaction. He spent several minutes studying Shuichi's body, going as far taking pictures of it with his monopad's camera function (which she didn't even know existed). Kaede had to admit she was impressed, even though touching a corpse didn't seem that appealing to her, or something people would do so naturally. It was kind of odd, but... It was like he had done this kind of thing before. Of course, it was just an impression. But... could his mysterious talent have something to do with this? Or...

Kaede shook her head. She was focusing on the wrong things. Right now she was just standing awkwardly next to the green haired teen as he knelt next to the body. She wasn't being much helpful so far, being too scared, nervous and most of all, depressed to have any kind of contact with the body. It made her feel bad, since she was the one that was preaching a while ago about how important investigating was. Rantaro didn't seem to mind though, or at least he wasn't letting that show. He would ask her a few questions every now and then that could be important for the investigation, and she'd do her best not to give short answers or make them confusing. But she still couldn't help but feel useless. Even the other few students nearby were discussing things between themselves, so she looked really out of place there, doing nothing. But that was about to end. She wasn't going to let someone else solve this case. She made a promise, and it was about time she did something useful.

Just as she was about to look around and try doing some investigation of her own, she noticed Rantaro had moved closer to the body, only to start examining it with his touch. With the stunning calm and collectedness of a real detective, his hands moved swiftly and steadily across Shuichi's body, his face unreadable. There was no hesitation, embarrasment or malice as he rummaged through Shuichi's clothes, boldly shoving his hand inside the boy's multiples pockets like a cop searching a suspect.

"W-Wait! W-What are you doing, Amami-kun...?!" A startled Kaede asked, clearly surprised. The answer was obvious, but she couldn't keep the question to herself. Touching a dead body without batting an eye... Just how many mysteries surrounded Rantaro Amami?

He looked at her with his usual smile. "I'm searching his body for clues. Perhaps something that Saihara-kun had in his person could tell us something about how and why he was killed. Maybe some kind of note or unusual object." He noticed her astonishment and brought a finger to his cheek, scratching it awkwardly. "Sorry, is that weird?"

She was visibly a bit disturbed, but fought against it. She knew it what he was doing was necessary and that she most likely wouldn't do it herself, so now was not the time to freak out. "W-Well... I guess not, at least in this case. I was just surprised. You really are something else, Amami-kun." She smiled at him.

He offered a light-hearted chuckle "Haha, is that so? I hope you mean it as a compliment."

"I do. I think it's pretty amazing that you can remain so calm in a situation like this." Something clicked in her head. "Oh, what if it has something to do with your talent?"

"Oh?" He suddenly looked interested. "How so?"

"Hmm... Well, maybe you are some kind of investigator, like Shuichi." She suggested, somewhat confident in what she was presenting him. It would surely explain a lot of things that made no sense about him.

"An investigator, huh?" He laughed. "Well, that would be interesting. But I think I stand out too much to be a detective."

Well, he wasn't wrong about that. Compared to how Shuichi got dressed, he and Rantaro were like polar opposites. One could easily stand for hours in a crowd without being noticed while the other would draw attention even if he didn't mean to, sporting an interesting sense of fashion that synergized well with his approachable, friendly personality and his good looks. It was also hard to miss his messy, lime-colored hair. It reminded her of avocados for some reason, and the thought made her giggle. From where she was standing she had the feeling that his hair was really soft, and she couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to curl her fingers in that sea of green-

...

 _ **W-What am I thinking...?!**_

 _...Calm your ovaries, Kaede... This isn't the time to think about these things...! In fact! Why am I thinking about these things in the first place...?!_

"Akamatsu-san?"

Hearing him call her name brought her back to reality, and she was somehow able to regain her composure, though she could tell that her face was red. "M-Maybe you're right. ...Sorry, I guess this isn't the time to talk about these things."

"Don't worry about it. Keeping a clear head is also important when it comes to investigating... Oh man, now I really sound like a detective, huh?" He chuckled.

Kaede found herself smiling at him. "Yeah, you sure do. I still don't know how you can be so calm right now. It's actually pretty enviable." She confessed, wondering what had gotten into her that made her so suddenly open.

He smiled again, but it slowly grew more somber as turned his attention back to the body. "To tell you the truth, I'm pretty surprised myself. I'm sure no normal person could ever get used to this, but..." He squinted his eyes and looked down; a mix of pain and confusion written in his face. "Why is that exactly how I feel...?"

Kaede was taken by surprise. "Amami-kun...?"

He shook his head and faced her again. "Sorry, nevermind. I'm alright." He offered a small smile. It sounded genuine, but it lacked his usual friendly vibe. "Let's wrap this up quick so we can explore other places, hm?"

"R-Right." She nodded, even though she wasn't doing anything in particular to help him.

Silence befell them as Rantaro refocused his attention back to Shuichi's body. His expression was back to showing nothing, and for a second she wondered if she had imagined that painful look on his face. There was no way, however, that her mind would play such tricks with her. The pianist made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Kaede tried to focus back on the investigation, deciding that she couldn't simply let Rantaro do everything himself. As far as she was concerned, she couldn't tell if they had made any progress at all or not. If Rantaro had found any kind of clue then he hadn't shared with her yet, so she was in the dark.

"Did you find anything?" She asked, hoping to get some kind of clue or maybe a place to start. She also secretly hoped that he wouldn't ask her the same question.

After a moment of silence, Rantaro turned to her. "I'm not sure. You were closer to him, so maybe you can help me out with something." He told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"With what?" She asked, suddenly feeling tense.

"Well, other than his Monopad and his room key, it seems Saihara-san was also carrying... this." As soon as he said that, he carefully opened Shuichi's fingers and revealed an item that made her heart stop for a second.

 _The reciever..._

She had completely forgotten about it. The small device was covered in blood, which was only natural since Shuichi brought both hands to his neck when he was injured. Still, he never let go of it. He held tightly to it, believing until his very last moments that the little piece of plastic would be the solution to their problems. The device was now silent, like boy who held it until now. Kaede was filled with dread and self-resentment for forgetting about such an important thing.

"It seems to be some kind of reciever, but I can't think of why Saihara-san would have this. Do you have any ideas, Akamatsu-san?" He asked. There was no malice in his question, but it still made Kaede very uncomfortable. There was no way she could answer it without revealing their plan of exposing the mastermind, and if she did, then she'd have to admit that she lied earlier. Both these things would do nothing but raise suspicion towards her, and if this suspicion was taken to trial...

But that wasn't the worst part.

Now that she thought about it. It was because of the reciever that they left the classroom in the first place. They rushed outside as soon as it started ringing, and the only reason they never made it to the library was because Shuichi was attacked. Even so, Kaede's plan was already set into motion. Whoever had moved that bookcase was bound to fall into her trap, and only the Mastermind could possibly know about that hidden door. However...

 _Everyone... was present... when they announced Saihara-kun's death..._

They were all there. All 14 remaining students had gathered when Monokuma told them about the body. But what could that mean? Were Kaede and Shuichi wrong when they deduced the mastermind was one of them? Had her plan gone wrong somehow?

...Could the real mastermind be in the library right now?!

"Akamatsu-san...? Hey, are you alright?! You look pale all of a sudden...!" A concerned Rantaro got up and placed a hand on a mortified Kaede's shoulder. Her face suddenly went white, and she looked like she could collapse at any second. "Akamatsu-san?!" He called again, hoping for any kind of response. Ryoma and Kirumi approached, startled by the sudden dialogue.

Kaede, while still dizzy and visibly affected by the sudden realization, somehow managed to regain her senses. Shaking her head, she turned to the green-haired teen with an exasperated expression.

"...Amami-kun! There's no time to explain! Follow me!" Without waiting for a response, Kaede bolted towards the stairs. The three remaining students were stunned for a moment, mostly as how fast the girl could run.

"What...? Wait!" A confused Rantaro yelled.

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about? What happened?"

"Is she alright?" Kirumi followed, confused.

"I'm not sure. I'm going after her. Can you guys wait here?"

They agreed to stay behind, since they were still assigned to watch over the scene. Without wasting any time, Rantaro swiftly moved down the steps, wondering what could Kaede possibly want in the basement of all places, specially since according to her testimony the culprit went the opposite way, towards the hallways. It was then that he catched the silhouette of the pianist entering the main doors of the library. Alarms triggered in Rantaro's head almost immediately.

 _...What is she doing in the library? What is going on here?_

Moments after Kaede entered the smelly book-filled room, Rantaro reached the doors before they closed themselves. Entering the library, he took notice that it was empty, save for him and Kaede, who stood at the far side of the room. The room was quiet save for Kaede's heavy breathing and the library doors creaking loudly from being pushed open, eventually slamming against the walls as they sweeped 180 degrees. The ephemerous noise didn't even make Kaede flinch, who stared fixatedly at something Rantaro couldn't see from where he stood. He approached the pianist, his heart rate accelerated thanks to the sudden exercise.

"Akamatsu-san! What are you-" Eventually, he moved past the small balcony that obstructed his view and finally took notice of what had caught her attention.

...?

Like Kaede, Rantaro found himself drawn to the object lying in the floor, which was clearly foreign to the place no matter how you looked at it. Silently, he approached it, confusion written all over his face.

"Is that a... shot put ball?" He asked out loud, though the question was mainly to himself.

Now he was genuinely confused. He inspected the mysterious ball with his eyes for a few more moments, his mind coming up with all kinds of theories as to why a shot put ball was in a library. He wondered if it had something to do with the case, and soon he found himself turning his gaze to Kaede, who hadn't moved an inch. He couldn't get a read on the pianist's expression. She was still visibly agitated, her mouth slightly open as she rhythmically expanded her chest and then softly exhaled. But her eyes were filled with so many emotions that it was impossible to know what she was thinking. The way she looked at the ball, however, left no doubts. She knew something.

"...What is the meaning of this? What's going on, Akamatsu-san?"

Kaede finally turned to look at him. He asked calmly, but it was clear that he wanted answers. It was only natural after her sudden outburst. After calming down and catching her breath- not after internally cursing her sedentary lifestyle, she sighed loudly. The pianinst was unsure if she should feel relieved that she didn't kill anyone, or nervous about the fact that the mastermind could still be out there. It was evident that her plan had failed, but that only gave birth to more questions. And yet, all she was doing right now was wasting both hers and Rantaro's time.

She learned the hard way that there was no escape from his gaze. He was silent, peering at her with his unreadable eyes and patiently waiting for her to explain herself. He didn't ask twice, but his eyes held such an unbelievable pressure that he didn't have to. It was like an ocean threatening to turn into a full fledged storm at any second. Truth be told, Kaede was still uncertain about whether or not she should tell him the whole truth. But to avoid doing so she'd either have to be extremely rude to him or run away screaming. Naturally, Kaede wasn't one to resort to these, and while she wasn't one to admit defeat either, she was left with no choice.

"Amami-kun... Can I trust you?" She suddenly asked.

He raised an eyebrow at the question, eyes widening a little at how unexpected it was, but soon they went back to normal.

"Would you actually trust me if I said yes?"

Now it was Kaede's turn to look surprised. He had a point.

"...You're right. Sorry for bringing this up, Amami-kun." She looked away ashamedly. "It's just... Please don't take this the wrong way. I-"

"Akamatsu-san." He cut her off, surprising her with a serious look, as opposed to his usual smile. "It's alright. I wouldn't expect you to trust me so easily, and you shouldn't anyway. I haven't done anything to earn your trust, or anyone else's. Not to mention that our... circumstances make it even harder for everyone." He said bitterly, and Kaede couldn't help but nod sadly in response. The bears probably wouldn't have come up with those ridiculous perks if she hadn't insisted that everyone should try to escape rather than kill each other. "But if you know something that could help us solve this case, then I'd like you to tell me."

Kaede looked back at him; his eyes still intense, yet calm and understanding. She, on the other hand, was overflowing with guilt after pretty much telling him to his face that she didn't trust him. Even though he silently supported her this entire time and even offered to help her investigate, she still had doubts, and that made her feel like a massive bitch. Unable to maintain eye contact for more than a few moments, Kaede sighed again and looked down, having a really hard time finding the right words. Part of her wanted to tell him the truth, but another part of her still wanted to be careful. Either way, her guilt was almost making that choice for her.

Rantaro sighed. "I couldn't... end this mess before it started." At this, Kaede looked back at him. Was he referring to what he said in the dining room, when Ryoma offered his life to end this game earlier that day? His expression had that look of pain again, and Kaede felt a pang in her chest at this sight. "But at the very least, I want to get justice for Saihara-kun. I don't expect you to believe me, but I mean it, Akamatsu-san. I really do."

Kaede bit her lip, still silent. Rantaro's words kept replaying themselves in her mind, his sad expression haunting her. It was so different from the casual, but rather confident look he had earlier that day, when he announced his plan to end the killing game. She still had no idea what he planned to do, but he honestly seemed disappointed that he didn't manage to pull it through. Whether his negative feelings were directed at Monokuma, his plan, or even himself, she couldn't know. But something deep inside her told her that they were genuine. He was shrouded in mystery, but he was still undeniably human. And even though those brief, ephemerous emotions he rarely displayed could very well be a well thought act... She decided to trust them.

"...I believe you." She told him, this time looking back at him with the confidence she usually had. "I believe you, Amami-kun. I feel the same way." She smiled sweetly at him. It took him by surprise how friendly and gentle it was. Despite his paranoia, Rantaro's brain simply couldn't register that smile as potentially fake or forced. It was oddly endearing, just like the one she gave him over that simple nail art. If he hadn't been taken off guard he would have smiled back, entranced by her feminine features. "...I'll tell you what I know."

Rantaro quietly crossed his arms. "...Are you sure?" He asked, remembering how hesitant she seemed a few moments ago. He was curious, and he didn't lie when he said he wanted to solve this case. But deep down, part of him was actually worried about her.

She nodded, then smiled sadly and looked away. "You know... I keep thinking about what Saihara-kun would do in a situation like this. I'm not smart, or observant, or a good interviewer. And the only thing I'm good at remembering is piano songs." She giggled, slowly going back to her usual self. "But I want to solve this case. I really do. And if there's something, anything I can do to make that happen, then I shouldn't be hesitating." Kaede looked straight into Rantaro's eyes, her energy and determination nearly touchable. "I need your help, Amami-kun. I need you to find the bastard who did this. So I'll tell you everything. Besides, we're together in this, aren't we? It's only natural for me to not hide anything from you."

Rantaro stayed in silence for a second, then finally couldn't hold back his smile for much longer. "...You really are something else, you know that?" He nodded, his smile growing more and more amused. "Alright. I'll do whatever I can. As you said, we're together in this."

Kaede smiled again. "Yeah. Thank you, Amami-kun." She extended her hand to him. He was surprised at the gesture, since shaking hands wasn't that usual in Japan. Regardless, he soon extended him own hand and firmly grasped hers. They could feel each other's resolve, and that mere handshake symbolized the start of their newfound union.

After a few moments, Kaede let go of his hand and turned his back on him. "Alright. I think it will be easier to show you rather than telling you."

With that, she slowly made her way to the rear entrance door of the library. Rantaro thought she was going to leave, but she suddenly turned towards one of the bookcases. He watched her curiously, wondering if the reason for her odd behavior came from one of these books. He figured that wasn't the case, since from what he could tell, most of these books were just old encyclopedias and dictionaries. But then, what could she possibly want from those bookcas-

...Hold on.

She was standing in front of a very familiar bookcase. Rantaro suddenly felt tense, hoping that she wasn't about to do what he thought she was. There was no way she could possibly know what that bookcase was hiding, could she...?

She could.

Rantaro's eyes widened as Kaede brought both arms to one of the bookcase's side and pulled. Soon, like magic, the bookcase started moving forward, eventually stopping in place and swinging open from one of it's sides like an automatic door. For a split second, something like a camera's flash lit the area, but he was too appalled to pay it any mind. He found out that the bookcase was actually rather bulky, like a safe's door. Once it stopped moving it revealed a shady looking door, half of it painted white, half black. Monokuma immediately came to mind. Next to it was something that seemed to be a card reader. The door itself had no doorknob or hinges.

It was after the initial shock passed that Rantaro noticed something was buzzing on his pocket. Confused, he quickly reached for it and found nothing other than the reciever Shuichi was holding minutes ago. The device was vibrating, it's buttons were bliking and it was letting out a loud noise.

The talentless teen was speechless, puzzled beyond words. Instinctively, he took pictures of the door with his monopad, figuring they could come in handy some other time. A million thoughts crossed his mind, but he was too stunned to actually inquire Kaede about them. Thankfully, he didn't have to, as she soon started speaking.

"I'll try to keep this short since I don't know how much time we have left" She started, and slowly Rantaro took his eyes away from the door and towards the pianist. "Do you remember when Monokuma said something about making hundreds of thousands of copies of himself? Well... Saihara-kun and I believed that this machine is right behind this door."

Rantaro immediately remembered that message he recieved.

 _If I recall correctly... That survivor perk had something like this written in it. Something about Monokuma needing a spare. It also said the mastermind would be hiding behind this door. Then... That message was telling the truth? It was actually safe to believe in it? But... according to that signature, **I** was the one who wrote it. It doesn't make sense..._

"...How did you find this door?" Out of all the questions that were confusing and messing with Rantaro's head, this was the only one he managed to let out. He was visibly astonished, but Kaede paid it no mind since she felt the same way when Shuichi showed her the door.

"Actually, it was Saihara-kun who found it. He said he noticed these markings on the ground, and something about this bookcase being the only one that had no books on top of it... Or something like that. It's impressive, isn't it? I don't think I'd ever notice any of these things. if he wasn't around."

Yes, it was certainly very surprising. It wasn't until Kaede mentioned these things that he noticed them, and they honestly weren't that hard to miss. Had he looked harder, he wouldn't even have needed that map to find the hidden door in the first place. The possibility of Shuichi having a map like him crossed his mind, but he quickly ruled it out since minutes ago he searched the boy and his notepad for clues. He had no special monopad. He found that door with nothing but his skills, and it only served to show him how much of a loss Shuichi's death was. Rantaro couldn't help having a newfound respect for the boy's abilities, and it certainly was a shame that they were never put to the test.

"Yeah... Leave it to the detective to find something like this." He murmured, still impressed. "So what happened? Did you find anything behind that door?"

The pianist shook her head. "No... We couldn't get past it. It seems that you need a card to enter through it."

Just then, the bookcase started moving on it's own again, this time doing the opposite trajectory. After spinning back to it's original position, it moved backwards and stopped, and suddenly it went back to being just a regular bookcase.

Rantaro was startled, but made sure to take a few more pictures for future reference. "What was that? It closes automatically too?"

"That's right. If you leave it alone for a while it closes on it's own. I don't think there's any way to close it from the inside, so it makes sense."

Rantaro nodded in acknowledgement, and it was then that another flash illuminated the area, this time catching his full attention. At the same time, the buzzing from the reciever got irritating, so he pushed the device's buttons until it stopped. He was still a bit perplexed at all the information that was suddenly being thrown at him, but by now he had regained his composure enough to inquire Kaede about them.

"I see. What about this reciever and that flash? Are these your doing?"

Kaede crossed her arms, biting her lip. "Yeah." She faced him seriously. "Our plan was to expose the mastermind. We figured that only they would know about this door, and that they would have to come here sometime by the time limit. So we installed cameras and sensors in the library to automatically take pictures of the mastermind when they moved this bookcase. It was a gamble, but we decided to give it a shot."

Rantaro raised an eyebrow. "Cameras and sensors? Where did they come from?"

"We got them from the warehouse. It's just a bunch of cheap technology, but it should do the trick."

"Huh. I had no idea we had these there. Then again, that place is huge." He scratched his head. "How did you set them up though?"

Kaede frowned. "We had Miu modify the cameras so that they'd take pictures whenever the sensors detected movement. We covered both entrances so that we could register who entered, no matter where they came from." Rantaro didn't fail to notice the change in her tone as she talked about the inventor. They didn't seem to be in the best of terms, but then again, Miu wasn't really a pleasant person to be around. "We also placed a specific sensor in this bookcase. The reciever was supposed to warn us when it moved so that we could come here right away."

Another flash.

"...So that's why you were in the classroom." He commented. He found it a bit weird when she said they were there talking of all things, but now it made sense. From that classroom they could see who went downstairs and who came up, not to mention it was an unusual place to be and it was highly unlikely that anyone would go there on their final moments. It was the perfect place to ambush the library.

He couldn't believe how brilliant their plan was and how far they went to make sure it worked. Even it if was a gamble it was very impressive, and it only made him realize how reckless his own plan (or lack thereof) was. What would he do after moving that bookcase? How would he expose the mastermind? What would he do if he was attacked by Monokumas, or maybe an Exisal?

He wanted to blame the complicated circumstances -mainly the time limit- for his recklessness, but when faced with such a well-thought, organized plan, he could only feel ashamed of his imprudence and carelessness. If there was anything he remembered about himself was that he always took pride in his analytical mind. He was an individual that relied on logic and facts, that considered the margins of error, probabilites and risks before making an act. In fact, he could even admit that sometimes his habit to overthink things was troublesome. But none of that was present in his recent actions. They lacked tact, second-thinking, and worst of all, common sense. And if that was how he was approaching the problem that could end his life in a second, then the way he saw it, he was already dead. It was only a matter of time.

However, he also took pride in his ability to learn from his previous mistakes and adapt. Now that he realized he was doing something wrong, he could either work harder and change his ways or eventually die in shame for being overconfident. Needless to say, the latter wasn't an option, and Rantaro mentally promised himself to take things more seriously. He wouldn't think of confronting the mastermind again until he was sure to win. That's who Rantaro Amami was. Besides that wake-up call wasn't all that bad. If he considered all the facts, then his instincts might as well have saved him from a massive headache, or at least, from a problem much bigger than he could imagine. Had he moved that bookcase, he would immediately raise a lot of suspicion to himself since there would be evidence against him that he wouldn't be able to contest without revealing even more incriminating secrets, like his mysterious perk. All that considered, he could have even ended up dead after all. He silently thanked his instincts and made a mental note to hear what they have to say in the future.

"Then, when Saihara-san left the classroom..."

"...Yeah." Kaede looked down sadly. "The reciever started buzzing all of a sudden. Shuichi bolted out of the room in a second, and I was so shocked that it took me a few moments to understand what was going on and follow after him. By the time I left, however..."

"...The culprit had already attacked Saihara-san." Rantaro concluded.

Kaede's sad look and nod confirmed his theory. "When I reached him, he was already soaked in blood. There was nothing I could do..." She told him, her tone getting significantly weaker. She was fighting hard not to cry again.

Rantaro felt sorry for her. He wanted to comfort her, but at the same time he thought hard about what he just learned. Something about it intrigued him, and he felt the need to let it be heard.

"You know... Based on what you said... It almost seems like the culprit was waiting for you to leave the room."

Another flash.

"Huh...?" Kaede's sadness vanished in thin air and was replaced by a starled look on her face.

"Did anyone else knew about your plan?" He asked, a few possibilities already crosssing his mind.

Kaede shook her head. "N-No... We didn't tell anyone. Saihara-kun thought that the mastermind could be one of us, so we decided against telling everyone of this to avoid causing panic, and also not to warn the mastermind." Kaede's eyes widened. "Wait... You think..."

He eyed her seriously. "Yeah. It's possible that someone knew about your plan. And in that case, they probably also knew what you were about to do, so they planned ahead." He rubbed his chin.

"N-No way! There is no way anyone else could have known about it. Saihara-kun and I were very careful." She crossed her arms and looked down in deep thought. Then, suddenly looked back at Rantaro with a 'Eureka' look on her face, reinforced by the way she raised her arm and her index finger. "Wait! What if it was an accident? Maybe, when Saihara-kun left the room in such a hurry he scared the culprit and they reacted that way! The time limit was almost over, so they were probably nervous." She stated, rather confident and proud about her speculation. Rantaro seemed to ponder over it and consider it seriously, much to her satisfaction.

"It's plausible. But in that case, why would they feel the need to conceal their identity?" He crossed his arms. "I can't imagine anyone wearing a mask and/or wearing a blanket over their bodies unless they are either dressing up for halloween or about to do something wrong." He brought one of his hands to his chin again, using his other arm as a support for his arm. "Not just that, but think about where they were. If they were in that hallway, they only had two destinations."

Kaede thought hard, wanting to follow his thought process rather than simply listening and relying on it. "Two destinations... The classroom and the basement, right?" She asked, and was relieved when he nodded.

"My theory is that regardless where they were headed to, considering their 'disguise' and the fact they were carrying some kind of weapon... They were planning to kill someone."

Another flash.

His words sent shivers down Kaede's spine, and the flash only freaked her out even more. "B-But then it's possible that he didn't plan on killing Saihara-kun. It could still be an accident!"

Rantaro frowned. "It's possible. But... The timing seems too perfect."

"...What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Based on what you told me, the exact moment the reciever started ringing and Saihara-san stepped out of the classroom, the culprit was already there to attack him. It could be a coincidence, but we can't rule out the possibility that they were waiting for that precise moment. Almost like... They knew when it would come."

Kaede's eyes widened. "You mean... Whoever did this knew the bookcase would move? But how could they know...?" Her eyes widened even more. "C-Could it be...? Could whoever killed Saihara-kun be..."

"The mastermind?" Rantaro finished. "It's too soon to assume that."

Kaede pouted. "I know... But it makes sense! If the mastermind wanted to come here, then they wouldn't just let anyone see who they are. It explains the disguise. And who knows, maybe they used Monokuma to move the bookcase?"

Rantaro scratched the back of his head. "I agree that it makes sense, but it's all still circumstantial. We can't rely on conjectures to solve this case. If we want to find the culprit then we need solid facts."

"...You're right." Kaede let out a defeated sigh. "Where should we look for clues next though? This school is huge!"

Another flash.

"...We should start by retrieving that camera. It should have captured a picture of the moment the bookcase moved, right?"

Kaede's eyes widened in realization. "Ah, good point!" The pianist moved towards a movable ladder. "Can you go get that one? I'll pick up the ones we hid on top of the bookcases.

Nodding, Rantaro and Kaede went their separate ways. As the pianist moved the ladder, Rantaro approached the bookcase he assumed the flash came from and soon found a green disposable camera hidden between the books. He noticed it was an old model that still required the film to be revealed in order to see the photos. The color stood out, but it was still well hidden. He wouldn't have noticed that camera if not for the flash, and if he had, he most certainly wouldn't have considered moving that bookcase earlier.

That's when it hit him.

"Akamatsu-san." He called as he started unsticking the duct tape holding the camera. "I mean no offense, but wouldn't leaving the flash on beat the whole point of hiding a camera?" He asked. Having noticed the flash immediately, he figured it shouldn't be any different for the mastermind. And if the mastermind of all people found that camera, then they could even destroy it and erase any evidence with it.

When Kaede didn't answer, he thought for a moment that maybe she didn't hear him. He was about to call her and ask again when she answered.

"...Yeah. I guess we forgot about that one."

Rantaro found that weird, and perhaps a bit careless of their part too, but he wasn't one to talk. He was almost finished removing the camera when it suddenly took a picture of him, the flash he forgot to turn off himself assaulting his retinas without even paying them dinner first. He immediately covered his eyes, silently cursing as he tore the last pieces of duct tape and picked up the camera, this time not forgetting to turn the flash off.

His eyes hurting a bit and still recovering from the sudden event, he spotted Kaede on top of the ladder, which she brought to one of the bookcases by the rear entrance. It seems she was having trouble retrieving what was up there, as he could see her standing on the tip of her feet and leaning forward awkwardly, stretching her arm as far as she could.

It was then that his eyes inadvertedly ended up there.

 _...Pink, huh?_

He couldn't help it. After all, he was a healthy young male, and the sight before his eyes was like an iron magnet attracting a coin. He was no pervert, but he couldn't simply ignore it either. Kaede's skirt wasn't that long to begin with, but now that he had a very clear view of her panties (which he dared say suited her) he cursed his hormones for messing with his mind even more than it already was. He knew it was rude, but no matter how much he tried to avert his gaze, it would go back there right afterwards.

"Akamatsu-san, I'm done with that camera." He said, trying to sound natural and take his mind away from her underwear. Sadly, his eyes weren't very cooperative in that regard. "Do you need some help up there? We can switch places if you want." He offered.

"Hnngh... No, it's fine. I think I got it." There was a short pause. "B-By the way, Amami-kun... You're not, er... peeking under my skirt from down there, are you?"

Whoops.

"...Oh well. Busted, haha." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry about that."

Kaede blushed furiously. "I-It's fine... It's my fault anyway." She managed, mentally cursing her clumsiness and her lack of self-awareness for letting the same thing happen a second time. At least he was honest.

 _Kaede, you idiot... You might was well place a giant target on them for everyone to see..._

Still embarrased, she finally retrieved the camera and went down the ladder. She didn't say a word, and neither could look at each other in the eye.

Rantaro scratched his cheek with his thumb. "Was that the last one?"

"N-No. There is still one by the main entrance."

"Alright. Leave that one to me then." He offered a small smile and through gestures asked her to hold the camera for him, to which she nodded while still blushing.

They were both silent during the short time it took Rantaro to find and retrieve the last camera. Kaede tried her best to avoid looking at him while he was up there so as to not make the situation more awkward than it already was. She fidgeted nervously with her feet, repeatedly shifting her weight from her heels to the base of her toes and vice versa, slightly moving her body back and forward like a curious kid, all the while standing a whole two meters away from the ladder. Against her will, she'd throw glances at him from time to time, unable to deny that he was good-looking and uttering profanities at that fact. Usually, keeping these thoughts under control wasn't an issue to her, but then again, she never really spent so much time around guys her age until recently. It was driving her crazy, and to make matters worse she hadn't touched a piano for who knows how long. She was starting to understand why people considered high school girls so scary.

In no time, Rantaro was back to her side, the final camera in hand. "Here it is. I don't know how much time we have, but we should go develop this film as soon as possible."

Kaede nodded. "Y-Yeah. But how-"

Just then, a third presence suddenly appeared in the library, and both Rantaro and Kaede were surprised to see none other than one of the Monokubs.

"I heard everything you said! If that's what you need, just leave it to me!" Monophanie chirped, sounding oddly excited.

"Huh?" Kaede eyed the bear with confusion, but also a hint of suspicion.

"I'll develop the photos so you bastards can focus on the investigation! Cuz if you guys get punished, it would be way too gory!" The female bear explained, suddenly looking afraid and nauseous.

The pianist didn't buy it. "H-Hey! Don't butt into our-"

Before Kaede could finish her sentence, Monophanie swiftly snatched the cameras she was holding, as well as the one Rantaro had just retrieved.

"I'm a strong, sensual woman. Don't underestimate me." The bear fumed.

Kaede was surprised, but it soon turned into anger. "Hey! Give those back!"

Monophanie just shrugged it off. "No need to worry. We all have to follow the rules. We won't do anything underhanded or devious. So I'll let you know when I'm finished developing the photos."

"W-Wait! Give the cameras back!" Still not trusting the bear, Kaede yelled at her, but it was in vain. Monophanie left as swiftly as the wind. "N-No... That was important evidence." She muttered, looking depressed.

"Well... That was unexpected." Rantaro commented. He seemed oddly calm about the situation, much to Kaede's disbelief. "I guess we have no choice but to leave it to her."

"Are you ok with that?" Kaede asked, a bit exasperated. "What if she gets rid of the pictures, or edits them somehow? All of this would have been for nothing!"

Rantaro crossed his arms. "I think it's fine. In fact, it's a good thing. Like she said, she has rules to follow as well, so she probably won't try to tamper with the evidence. After all, I don't think Monokuma would like it if anyone got in the way of his little game, even if it's his own kids." He faced her seriously. "Besides, we can use this opportunity to go investigate other places. We still haven't found any sort of clue that points to anyone in particular, so we should get moving." He said calmly.

Kaede was amazed. "...You have a point." She sighed. It was evident that she still wasn't very fond of the idea, but she knew he was right. Stressing over this would lead them nowhere, and besides, she had no idea where Monophanie was anyway. With that out of the way, she couldn't help but once again be impressed by Rantaro's ability to remain collected in the face of hardships. She thought he was being apathic and skeptical to what just happened, but as it turns out, he was calmly assessing the situation and planning his next action. It made her feel bad for thinking even for a second that maybe he wasn't as dedicated to solving this case as he claimed. She felt a lot more respect for him right now. "Alright then. I hope everything works out." Back to her usual self, she smiled at him.

Rantaro nodded. "Don't worry. We'll solve this case with or without the pictures." He smiled back. "Come on. Let's go check other places."

Still smiling, Kaede nodded at him and they made their way back to the main entrance. Suddenly, however, Rantaro stopped in his tracks. "Oh yeah, Akamatsu-san. You still haven't told me what the shot put ball was for. Was it part of your plan?" He asked, and Kaede stopped. She was a few steps in front of him, so he couldn't see her face. After several moments of silence, she turned back to him with a sad look.

"Sorry, Amami-kun. I'm... not ready to tell you about it yet."

He remained impassive, studying her features. "'Yet', huh? So you'll tell me some other time?"

Silence.

"...Who knows. I mean, I want to tell you... But... I can't right now. It's just..." There was a long pause in her sentence. "...I'm scared."

Rantaro's eyes widened a little. Kaede looked downcast, like a cornered animal. Whatever it was, that ball sure had a lot of weight behind it, in all senses of the word. Seeing Kaede look like that hurt Rantaro to physical level, and before he knew it he had approached her and brought a hand to her chin, using his thumb and index to gently move her head upwards until they locked eyes, much to her surprise.

"Akamatsu-san. Whatever it is that is bothering you... You don't have to carry that burden on your own." He smiled. "If you ever feel like talking about it, I'll be all ears. For what it's worth, you have my word." He said, moving his hand from her chin to her head and then patting it in a very brotherly manner. Kaede was touched, reveling in the comfort that simple headpat brought her. Tears threatened to stream from her eyes, but this time not from sadness or guilt. It was happiness.

She was speechless, secretly enjoying every second of his fingers dancing on her head, as if they were absorbing all her worries and doubts. For a moment, the loneliness from Shuichi's death vanished without a trace, .

Eventually, before the situtation got weird, Rantaro broke off the eye contact and pulled his hand back, walking past her and towards the library doors. "If you don't hurry I'll leave you behind." He teased, both his hands shoved inside his pockets. He didn't look back, knowing that she'd be right behind him. Damn, he was cool.

Filled with a sudden euphoric and warm feeling in her chest, Kaede smiled as she went after him.

 _...Thank you, Amami-kun._

...

...

 **To be continued.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone. I think the library scene got far too big, so I decided to divide the investigation in two parts. The next chapter will feature conversations with other characters, as well as several more clues to help you figure out who the culprit is. Look forward to it! And if by any chance you are enjoying the story so far, or maybe hating it so much you feel the need to insult me, please spare a few minutes to leave a review!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


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